Dragon Boy (On minimum hold, might re-create with corrections)
by CommonFears
Summary: Maximum Ride AU. Hiccup Haddock was raised in a science lab for the first fifteen years of his life. Experimented on without the use of anesthesia, caged, treated like an animal by scientists...the boy has learned to grow up trusting no one. Now, after the dragon human and 'Toothless' escaped 'The School', can he learn to accept and trust this new family who take him in? Hiccstrid!
1. Prologue

**(A/N) This chapter is super short but that's because it's just the prologue. I promise in the future there will be much more. In order to fully understand the concept of this story, I'd recommend reading the book "Maximum Ride". Just reading one book like "The angel experiment" will give you the basic idea, you don't have to read the whole series but I would totally recommend it being a huge fan myself. Enjoy! Also, please leave a review.**

Having grown up in a science lab, Hiccup Haddock didn't know what to do once he was finally out in the open with his dragon/best friend. Dragons were fairly common creatures to see in this country known as the Barbaric Archipelago, though no one knew what scientists were doing with them and unborn kids.

All his life Hiccup had grown up an experiment in a science lab called "The School". He had never known his parents, nor what humane people were. All he knew was defending himself while people tried to operate on him, often without the use of anesthesia.

Before he was born, scientists had merged Hiccup's DNA with that of a dragon as he was a growing fetus. They'd told him his mother was killed when he began asking because Toothless-his dragon friend and the dragon who's DNA had been merged with his-had told him what a mom and dad were.

Toothless was Hiccup's only teacher growing up. The boy was 99% human, 1% Night Fury. Seems like a small thing right? Well it made a _big_ difference. The boy had jet black wings, scales along his spine, the ability to heat up his body with the same kind of fire a Night Fury had, the ability to shoot small amounts of fire using his hands to concentrate the blast (though this took almost all of his energy), the inability to maintain his own body heat if he was to run out of Night Fury plasma energy (like other reptiles to an extent), vocal cords that switched between that of a dragon roar and human voice (sometimes unwillingly), hands that could move the cells in his skin to form rock-hard claws, super strong senses, and finally the instincts of both a human and a dragon which often confused him.

Growing up the scientists only taught Hiccup Nordic so he could speak and perform psychological tests. Unfortunately _most_ of their tests though were physical. Dissections, eye surgeries to improve his sight which sometimes temporarily blinding him, samples took from his wings, and more often left the sixteen year old boy in unimaginable pain for weeks at a time. This didn't necessarily stop the scientists though. To them he was just another experiment. ExSA1 (or 1st successful Experiment in Log A-Dragon humans). There had only been two other experiments in Log A-Dragon humans. Hiccup's twin brother who had died when they were nine, and another girl who didn't survive infancy.

Now, Hiccup and Toothless stood on top of a cliff, wings shamelessly open wide. His auburn, slightly braided hair blew in the wind, and he wore a loose green shirt torn at the sides for his wings. He'd also grabbed a leather vest to hide his wings when he was out in the public.

Toothless and Hiccup had destroyed the lab. There were many more of them, but for now he was free for the first time in his life. He was angry at the world, but for some reason couldn't stop himself from wanting to help a little girl who was being attacked by two men in the forests below. He didn't know humans, but being part human himself knew what he had to do, no matter how angry he was at the world.


	2. Fury

Hiccup-also known as the hero "Fury"-flew through the city of Berk in the Barbaric Archipelago. Having survived escaping The School six months ago, the seventeen year old boy used his dragon-traits to save people. At first he didn't want anything to do with the humans who permanently scarred him, but his protective Night Fury instincts and humane side made him realize he wanted to make sure no one of the good guys suffered the same pain he'd known all his life.

Hiccup didn't attend school, didn't let anyone know who he was, didn't even let anyone see him outside of his black "Fury" mask. Most adults assumed he was an adult with unique gifts, others thought he was much more dragon than he actually was and didn't have a human side hardly at all. Hiccup and Toothless were both fine with this. The less people knew about them, the better.

Hiccup spotted a girl down on a sidewalk held in the arms of a boy with beefy arms and a black leather jacket. No doubt was he a gang member judging by his tattoos, and even though the girl he had captive seemed pretty strong, she had many disadvantages.

 **"It's your call Hiccup."** Toothless growled to his boy in the dragon's tongue. Hiccup nodded his head and growled back. **"We're saving her. I know what it's like to be used. We're not letting that happen to her."** He spat rather harshly as flashbacks ran through the back of his mind. Toothless knew the boy wasn't trying to be rude, but had just been roughened out by his past.

Hiccup noticed the tall, thin, strong blonde girl look up at him from below as he landed. Something about her baby blue, shining eyes caught him off guard. The emotion that hit him in the chest was not one he was familiar with.

Hiccup and Toothless landed next to the guy holding the girl. The Night Fury hit the man with his tail, causing him to raise a gun. The dragon was caught off guard when a bullet struck his tail fin, making the dragon yelp in surprise. Hiccup immediately felt something crush deep within himself, and he grabbed the guy's shoulders. He flipped the man over his shoulder and stood on his chest. The man was dazed for a moment, but another one came out of the shadows of an ally way.

 **"You have got to be kidding me."** Hiccup growled in the dragon's tongue, confusing the girl on the ground nearby. "Fury look out!" She screamed as the man under him raised a gun. All Hiccup felt was something hard leaving a hole in the center of his wing, and it registered somewhere in the back of his mind that he couldn't fly as the adrenaline sent him into offense mode.

With quick movements Hiccup kicked the guy below him in the head, knocking him out immediately with his prosthetic foot (more on that later). The man coming out of the shadows looked scared, and with one swift movement Toothless ran into him, pinning him into the ground and making him feint. The Night Fury then ran to his rider with his left tail fin bleeding slightly on the ground.

"Toothless." Hiccup whispered in Nordic, reaching out and touching the dragon's head. He then turned to the girl on the ground. "Are you okay?" He questioned in a stern tone. The girl stood up, dusting off her knees. She looked to be about his age.

"I-I'm fine. You're not though." She stated, pointing to his wing. Hiccup blushed beneath his mask, something he'd never done before. He turned with his back to her, not looking her in the eye. With balled fists he looked at Toothless. She was right.

"Yeah. Guess we're screwed." Hiccup mumbled just loud enough for the girl to hear him. She put a hand on her hip. "Well what are you gonna do about it Fury?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. Hiccup sighed and turned around again to face her.

"Dunno. We'll figure something out though. Always do." Hiccup said in a more calm tone, reaching out with his hand in a 'it's fine' gesture. The girl wasn't having it. Hiccup realized she was the protective type. Go figure, they were just alike.

"I don't think so. You can't fly. You're a hero and you help people everyday. My mother is a nurse. Let her help you." The girl said, this time speaking more confidently than before. Her skirt swayed in the wind as stars appeared in the sky one by one.

"I don't even know you." Hiccup mumbled, holding one of his arms uncomfortably. Toothless crooned worriedly, wrapping his injured tail around his boy. The girl smiled warmly and reached out to touch 'Fury's' shoulder. He flinched back with a small warning hiss out of reflex.

"My name is Astrid. I go to Berk high and take psychology and medical classes so I can take on a career in recreational therapy like my grandmother before my mother. Now you know me. What about you?" Astrid crossed her arms and leaned against a brick wall, worrying about Fury's bleeding wing in the back of her head.

Hiccup sighed and squeezed his arm tighter. His breath came out in a cloud in the air around them due to the cold. "There's not much to know. I can't tell you my past until I know I can trust you. I don't have much experience with humans that don't act nice just because they want something from me." He explained in a dark tone. Astrid frowned.

"Okay...I get that you don't trust me. How are we going to fix your wing? I can't get near you emotionally because we just met, and you're afraid to let me touch you." Astrid went through what she knew in her head. Hiccup looked up confused. It was as if Astrid had made it her mission to help him or something. Did she always do this? Odd.

"I don't know. You don't have to help me. I've been defending myself all my years." Hiccup tried to explained, fiddling with a loose thread on his mask. His suit was black like his wings, so he knew if he needed he could easily hide just about anywhere because it was night. This helped ease his nerves a little.

"I'm going to help you Fury. I don't mean that as a threat, but rather as a gesture of kindness. I'm not doing this because I want something from you. I'm doing it because you've saved my city from crime numerous times and you've saved me from getting shot." Astrid gestured to the two men laying unconscious on the ground a few feat away. Cops suddenly began coming their way. Someone in the apartments nearby must've called them.

"Look Fury. The cops are coming to pick these guys up and you can't fly. Come with me." Astrid held out her hand and Hiccup shivered. He looked at Toothless. **"What should we do?"** He asked, more nervous than he had been in a while. Toothless sighed.

 **"It's this or the authorities."** The dragon hissed, defeated. He'd have to go with the humans to save his boy. He had to go, for Hiccup.


	3. His story

**(A/N) I give you chapter three of 'Dragon Boy'. I already have a lot of the chapters written ahead of time, so the more views and reviews there are, the faster I will update. I am not saying I won't update if I don't get any reviews, just that the views and knowing people's opinions on my story are there is inspiring. Let's read!**

Hiccup didn't know what to think as he entered the Hofferson household. Astrid had allowed him to go to the abandoned shed Toothless and him stayed in first so he could change into regular clothes. His wings didn't show, though he still wore his mask and his usual red tunic and leggings.

As they came upon Astrid's two-story house, Hiccup gestured for Toothless to leave. The dragon did as told, telling his boy he'd be nearby if anything happened. Astrid's father Agnar was apparently a police officer. Her mother who's name was Ingrid had been a nurse for a few years, and had treated bullet wounds numerous times.

"A-Astrid I don't know about this." Hiccup strained against the girl's grip on his wrist, chest raising and falling quickly as he breathed. Astrid didn't let him go but loosened her grip a little, looking into Fury's eyes with a gentleness the boy was not used to. He relaxed a little.

"My father's not home so you won't have to deal with him. He has night shift tonight. My mother has heard of you on the news, and doesn't believe you are a threat. Once she knows you saved me, I promise she will not have anything against you. If anything, she will _want_ to help you. It's what she does for a living."

Hiccup nodded his head, his whole body tense and the occasional shiver going down his spine. He'd only had interactions with humans outside of the school for five minutes at the most, and he was _never_ lacking his suit. As the Hofferson household door opened, a chill went up his spine as he saw the inside. This was _not_ what he was used to.

A staircase went upstairs to two bedrooms on either side of the top story. The rails were decorated with old fashioned paintings hanging from them. A first aid kit and fire extinguisher hung near the door. Past the staircase was a living room with two couches and a recliner. Sliding doors led to a backyard which was right next to a long, eerie looking creak. Hiccup could hear a Deadly Nadder nearby. Their pet dragon?

Closer to the door than the living room was a tile floored kitchen. The kitchen and dining room were pretty much connected but with different colored tiles. The kitchen had silver looking tiles and marble counters leading to a slightly dirty stove next to the two door refrigerator. Above the fridge were wooden cabinets with all sorts of spices. Even closer to the front door was a simple tile dining room with blinds on the windows and a wooden table in the center. A book shelf and beanbag chair were in the corner, probably for nieces or nephews. Maybe cousins.

This was all so new to Hiccup. All he knew were gas stations and in his past the school, a place filled with mostly white walls and floors, hospital blankets, tiny beds, cages, and medical equipment. He had a fear of latex gloves and anyone coming near his left leg or eyes, though that was a story for later. As much medical equipment as the School had, they usually lacked anesthesia or just didn't use it. After all, Hiccup was nothing more than ExSA1. An experimental animal. The Dragon Boy.

"Fury?" Astrid asked, pulling the boy out of his dreaded memories. Hiccup nodded, smiling as best he could under his mask. The girl holding his wrist pulled him forward a little bit, reminding him that he had to move his legs. Shaking in slight fear, Hiccup walked through the doorway.

The house smelled like different spices and candles. Hiccup only knew what this smelled like because the occasional gash station he went to to spend money he'd found that sometimes had candles. In the school everything smelt like sanitizing equipment and anti bacterial soaps. The smell of latex was in his mind forever, another reason he hated hospital gloves.

"Are you ready?" Astrid asked after looking around the corner and seeing her mother cooking in the kitchen. The boy shook his head. "No...but I have to if I want to fix my wing." He whispered, pushing his arm forward in a gesture to Astrid telling her to help him move. The girl nodded, wondering why Fury was so afraid of humans.

"Mom? I need your help." Ingrid sighed while she looked down at her pan. "Another one of your friends need the help of "Doctor mom"?" She asked with a chuckle. "Kind of..." Astrid trailed off nervously. Hiccup cocked his head to the side, this must be a regular occurrence in the Hofferson household.

"Oh alright. You know Astrid, you really need to find friends that don't always get themselves into danger. One athlete who sprains her ankles three times a month is enough." Ingrid said lightheartedly as she turned around. She nearly dropped her cooking gloves on the floor when her eyes finally landed on her daughter and the boy in the kitchen.

"Astrid...is this-" "Yes mom. This is Fury. You have seen him before and he saved me from two gunmen. I would've been dead if it wasn't for him so..." Astrid looked down, holding Hiccup's hand tighter. She squeezed his wrist, asking for permission to go a little further. The boy nodded.

"So what, Astrid?" Ingrid asked, walking closer to the two. Hiccup flinched back, not having any kind of good experience with medical professionals. Do to his extreme sense of smell caused by his dragon side, he could still smell the hospital on Ingrid's clothes from her day of work just a few hours earlier. She hadn't changed yet. No matter how nice the woman seemed he was still afraid of her. Not angry, just scared.

"So can you help him fix his wing? He got shot." Ingrid's eyes widened before she nodded with a sympathetic smile. Hiccup shivered, grabbing the rims of his mask. He pulled it off with much hesitance, revealing his face to the two. He didn't look anything like a dragon-human without his suit on, just a regular boy.

Ingrid and Astrid could both see the fear in Hiccup's eyes. They noticed how dirty his hair was too. Astrid couldn't figure out why there was a grey tint to Fury's eyes, nor why there was a white, hardly noticeable scar near the edges as if something had cut through his eyes completely. She didn't know his story, and a part of Hiccup wanted to keep it that way. They also noticed how he had sharp fangs which retracted and replaced themselves with normal teeth the moment his mask came off. Normal teeth started as baby teeth which fell out and made room for bigger ones.

Hiccup was a different case though. It was as if his mouth was reversed. His _sharper_ teeth were normally upfront, and rather than falling out they retracted back into his mouth somehow and made room for the flatter ones to come through next to them. When looking at his normal teeth, no one would ever guess he had fangs.

"Y-you can call me Hiccup. That's my r-real name. I had a t-twin and we named e-each other." Hiccup stuttered out nervously, holding the arm with his mask uncomfortably. Astrid lay a hand on his shoulder, smiling when he didn't flinch back.

Ingrid frowned and raised an eyebrow. "You named each other? Didn't you have parents who named you?" She asked curiously. Hiccup sighed and shook his head.

"We grew up in a science lab. There is an illegal organization who works on human experiments before they're even born. Once they're born the fetus merged with animal DNA is named according to their log. I was ExSA1. First successful experiment in Log-A or 'Dragon-Humans'. My brother on the other hand was named ExA2. He wasn't successful, born with numerous deformities which caused him to die at age nine. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but you seem to be supporters of 'Fury'. If by telling you the people who raised me ran an illegal organization can somehow keep them from taking me back, I'll chance it. I don't want to go back there."

Hiccup let all of the basics spill. If he didn't questions would be asked. Astrid said her father was a police officer though. If he knew the School was an illegal organization, maybe he could help Hiccup shut it down. If the Hoffersons could somehow help him save all the other people who suffered as human experiments under the mercy of the School, he'd chance it. He couldn't bare to know he was doing nothing for all of the others who had been left behind to face yet another day of cages, experiments, samples, surgeries, needles, and tubes.


	4. Spread wings

Ingrid and Astrid took everything they'd just heard in. Their expressions were full of confusion and concern. Astrid sighed and held Hiccup's hand. This time the boy flinched, though hearing his story-or at least the beginning of it-she could understand why. A shiver went down her spine, wondering what it must've been like being a human experiment.

"I-I'm sorry if you don't want to help me. I'm not completely human so you might not see me as one of your o-own but-" "Nonsense Hiccup." Ingrid stated quickly, making the boy jump back as an unintentional roar escaped his throat. He'd been used to running his whole life, so his wings instinctively tried to open under his shirt. Not only was this visible to Ingrid and Astrid, but a searing pain shot up the boy's left wing thanks to the bullet wound. He shrieked and leaned against the wall, panting heavily and groaning in pain.

Ingrid immediately ran to Hiccup's side who found it hard to stand up. This was it. If she wanted to hurt him or take him back to the school, he was in no position to escape. Hiccup looked up at her with a panicked gaze as his breathing raced. His wings rose and fell beneath his shirt in time with his chest. He'd been half a year without being taken back. He couldn't go back. Especially not without Toothless. It may sound crazy, but the dragon was like a father or brother to Hiccup. They had the same DNA, and Toothless had taught him so much more than the scientists at the School had.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Ingrid started, surprising the boy. She led him to a chair and helped him sit. "You're a human just like any of us. It's not your fault you were born with a different kind of DNA. We bleed the same color, you are one of us." Hiccup relaxed a little bit, though he remained on alert.

Astrid sat beside Hiccup on another chair. "Let her help you Hiccup." The boy shook his head. He couldn't. Not with that smell on Ingrid. She was a nurse. She used medical equipment. She was no different than the scientists. She worked with the people who performed surgeries. She hurt people. Yeah, Hiccup had _heard_ of anesthesia, but he'd never experienced it. In his mind, all medical procedures meant was pain and PTSD for life.

"N-no." Hiccup said as sternly as he could, though the fear was obvious in his voice. "I can't. I want to go." He stated, managing not to stutter but still sounding afraid. Astrid raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the frightened boy.

"Why Hiccup? She only wants to help you." Astrid whispered to the boy she once knew as Fury, running her fingers through his hair. Hiccup felt an accidental purr escape him, and blushed deeply when the girl pulled back in surprise.

"S-sorry." Hiccup mumbled, shrugging his shoulders upward in a shy motion. "But n-no...I want to go back with Toothless. I want my dragon." Astrid sighed sadly, just wanting to help the boy. She didn't understand. Ingrid thought she might though.

"It's understandable really." Ingrid said in a gentle tone, making both her daughter and the dragon boy look up at her. "You need to give him space Astrid. It really does make sense. Hiccup grew up in a science lab and they hurt him. I'm a nurse and I preform medical practices everyday. He's used to evil people who specialize in medicine. He hasn't met someone who only wants to help in the medical world before."

Hiccup's eyes widened. She had it head on. Both women looked at him with gentle smiled. "Correct me if I'm wrong Hiccup. I'm just trying to figure things out so we can help you." The boy shook his head, making a confused dragon sound in his throat.

"N-no you hit it head on. I-I'm sorry. You really do seem like such a nice p-person...growing up though people were only nice to me as a child so they c-could get in my h-head. Women would try to c-calm me d-down only to st-strap me to a m-medical table."

Hiccup began breathing heavier as memories flooded his mind. He brought his left hand up to his head as it began filling with pain. Nothing he hadn't been through before. Ingrid grabbed his hand gently and made him look at her.

"Did they not at least give you pain relievers or anesthesia?" Ingrid asked the boy with concern in her eyes. Hiccup looked down again, tears forming a sheet of glass in his eyes but not falling in front of other people. He shook his head. "No."

Both Ingrid and Astrid's breath caught in their throats, though Hiccup knew they tried to hide it. "How did you survive that kind of pain?" Astrid asked, becoming more concerned about the patches of blood showing on the boy's shirt. Hiccup sighed.

"I grew up with it. I-I have been experimented on since I was a baby. Back then they could just carry me, unlike now when I was able to escape. I grew used to it since the day I was born, and therefor know how to tolerate it. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though."

Hiccup brought his knees to his chest, hissing as pain struck him in the wing. He ignored it. "I-I shouldn't be telling you this. I have to tell _someone_ though." Astrid nodded with a warm smile, taking a step back to give him space like her mother had suggested. A hint of a smile showed in the corner of the boy's lips at the gesture.

"I'm so sorry Hiccup. If you'll let me help you, I promise I won't do anything extra. I'll only work to _help_ you. As for the lab you grew up in, I'll talk to my husband. Being a police officer I'm sure he wouldn't mind you staying in the guest bedroom."

Hiccup's head shot up and his breath hitched in his throat. "Wh-what do you mean? You'll let me... _stay?_ " Both woman were surprised by how bewildered the boy seemed. He really _had_ grown up with poor treatment. It was obvious in his features.

"Yes Hiccup. I'll make sure of it." Ingrid whispered. Hiccup nodded and looked at his wing through his shirt, raising it slowly. He then looked at Astrid, and finally the girl's mother. Ingrid sighed and lay a hand on Hiccup's thin shoulder.

"Will you let me help you? Please Hiccup. Our city needs you, so don't let yourself die because you're afraid." Hiccup was hesitant, and tensed when he removed his shirt to reveal his wings. The right one spread out and nearly bumped into the wall. His left one on the other hand was hot, and drooped.

"O-okay. Just please...don't hurt me." Ingrid smiled sadly and nodded her head. "Let me grab the first aid kit." She said. Just as Hiccup relaxed a little she spoke once more. "Astrid can you get my gloves?" His eyes widened and he tensed, pressing his back as far as he could into the chair. Gods no.


	5. A little bit of trust

Hiccup pressed back against the wooden chair he sat in with his wings folded. Ingrid approached him with her latex gloves on, a worried look on her face. "Are you okay?" She asked, making sure to give the dragon boy his space. Hiccup shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Astrid asked her newfound friend. She took his left hand in hers, looking into his scarred forest green eyes which widened as he flinched back once he was touched. Hiccup breathed deeply and made a humming sound in the back of his throat like a confused Night Fury would.

"I-I don't like gloves." Hiccup whispered, relaxing a little in his seat. Every instinct he had told him to run and never look back, but he knew Ingrid was right and that he'd die of infection if his wing wasn't treated. He was _shot_ for Thor's sake.

Ingrid raised an eyebrow in confusion before she remembered Hiccup's past. She sighed and touched the boy's arm with her gloved hand, causing him to yelp and move back, growling with the roar of a dragon like he had many times in battle. She knew he was just scared and not used to kindness.

"It's okay. It's okay my boy. I'm not going to hurt you. None of us are going to hurt you." Ingrid tried to sooth the Night Fury boy as he continued to growl, moving her fingers delicately from his arm to his shoulder before finally laying her palm against his wing.

Astrid held onto Hiccup's wrist and shushed him as Ingrid rubbed the boy's leather like wing. The dragon-human continued to hiss and growl as he'd learned to do, though for the most part remained still. Ingrid opened the first aid kit and pulled out a gauze along with a miniature bottle of peroxide used for cleaning wounds.

Hiccup jumped and yelped as the stinging gauze was pressed to his wound. He looked deeply into Astrid's eyes with his own fear filled ones, silently begging her to not let this be a trick. Tears formed in the back of his eyes though they dared not fall. They were not ones of pain, but rather of fear and confusion. He'd never had someone medically help him, only experiment on him for their own benefit.

"P-please keep your promises." Hiccup whispered as Ingrid worked, not daring to look at her. The woman sighed and nodded, shushing the boy with her voice and humming soothingly every now and again like she had some of Astrid's reckless friends who weren't as tough as they made themselves out to be.

Once Ingrid was done cleaning Hiccup's wing, both her and her daughter moved away from him. She stitched the hole in the leather like limb, along with bandaging to wound. As soon as he wasn't cornered Hiccup stopped growling and looked at his wing with curious, almost childlike eyes. He moved the wing a bit, smiling when he realized there was hardly any pain for the time being. He then looked at the two woman standing in front of him.

"You shouldn't fly for a while or else the stitches will tear. Like I said you're welcome to stay here until you're healed and until we catch the guys who illegally experimented on you." Ingrid said in a nurse's tone. Hiccup nodded, not really believing that he'd go so long without flying or that he'd be able to stay, but grateful for this foreign kindness none the less.

Hiccup moved from his chair and stood, hearing the call of a Nadder and his own Dragon nearby. He looked at Astrid with a smile gracing his dry, cracked lips. "Do you have a Deadly Nadder?" He asked, gesturing towards the back door of the house. Both woman nodded with a smile.

"Do you want to meet Stormfly?" Astrid asked sweetly. She lay a hand on his shoulder while the boy watched Ingrid take off her gloves. As soon as the woman went to the bathroom and got changed out of her work clothes, Hiccup relaxed thanks to the smell of hospital being gone.

"Sure." Hiccup said a bit shyly. Astrid offered her hand to him and led the boy outside who spotted Toothless and his newfound friend playing tug-of-war with a tree branch. He laughed and ran towards the two, jumping onto the center of the branch and roaring playfully with a smile.

Astrid laughed brightly as she watched Hiccup crouch down on the center of the branch the dragons were trying to pull away from one another, roaring to Toothless and Stormfly with playfulness in his tone. He seemed to be speaking in the dragon's tongue, urging both dragons on.

"Having fun?" Astrid asked with a chuckle after Hiccup couldn't keep his balance and fell onto the ground in a crouched position. Both dragons ran off into the woods behind the house. They were probably going to follow the creak to find a stream with fish to eat.

Hiccup looked up at Astrid, flinching back a bit do to her standing over him. He stood up, now looking down at the girl with a lopsided, nervous smile. He nodded in agreement, making a happy sound in the back of his throat. Astrid was about to tell him that she couldn't understand what he was saying because she didn't speak the dragon's tongue, but she could tell what he was trying to get through to her and didn't see the need.

Hiccup was looking down at Astrid with an emotion flooding over him which he didn't recognize. He heard the front door of the house open and could sense a man entering the living room. He almost retreated back into the creak like the other dragons had, but was quickly caught by the hand.

"C-can I..." Astrid could see the fear in Hiccup's eyes as he trailed off. The boy gestured to the trees. "You can tell him that I'm here, but I want to be somewhere I'm more comfortable." Astrid nodded in understanding, holding the boy's hand tighter.

"Why don't we both go into the trees? My mother knows we're back here." Hiccup smiled with a nod, climbing into the trees above. Why as Astrid had a bit of trouble getting past the first few branches, the boy up ahead of her was able to reach the top of the tree easily despite his wounded wing.

Just as Astrid and Hiccup both found a branch to sit on, Ingrid and her husband Agnar left the back door and looked outside. Their daughter called them over, holding her friend's wrist comfortingly. Hiccup growled at the man below, though Astrid could tell there was no real aggression in his actions. He was being defensive.

"I hear you're Fury. Your name is Hiccup?" Agnar asked as he looked up into the tree his daughter and the boy in question were sitting in. Hiccup made an agreeing sound in his throat, roaring almost playfully. It seemed with Astrid at his side he felt more comfortable to let his real colors shine through.

"My wife spoke with me, and we are both fine with you staying over. We will work to stop the people who raised you, and will provide you with shelter. It's the least we can do for the hero of our city." Hiccup hissed and landed on the ground below with two simple jumps why as it took a bit longer for the girl above him to climb down from branch to branch.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked with a nervous smile gracing his lips. He seemed to be shaking in his skin, probably a reflex after being defenseless for so many years. "I don't want to be a burden. As much as I enjoy your kindness, it is going to take a while for me to trust you. I'm not used to having conversations for this length of time." The boy admitted with a blush.

Agnar and Ingrid both smiled, stretching out their arms in a welcoming gesture. "We understand you may not trust us right now." Agnar said in a kind voice. "But let us prove to you that we won't hurt you Hiccup. We owe the hero of our city."

Hiccup smiled once more as Toothless and Stormfly were coming out of the creak with full bellies. He looked to his dragon who nodded a bit hesitantly. **"They're all we've got."** He admitted. **"You're losing weight and I can sense that your immune system is weak. We need someone who knows more about the outside world."**

Hiccup nodded in agreement with his dragon. They had to give the Hoffersons a chance. For both of their sake.


	6. What is love?

Hiccup walked through the two story house he'd be staying in with curious eyes. His wings fluttered behind him to match his emotions, the left one swelling a little in the center. He reached out a hand and touched a picture of the Hofferson family with delicate fingers. Another hand lay on his shoulder causing him to flinch with a hiss. He stood in a defensive position growling.

"It's just me Hiccup." Astrid whispered to her friend with a warm smile. The boy's wings went from rigid to open calmly and he hummed. A smile graced his lips and he looked at the wooden floor below sheepishly. Toothless was sleeping in the living room next to Stormfly.

"I uh...I was just looking around while Agnar and Ingrid were cooking. Toothless fell asleep so..." Hiccup trailed off and watched Astrid for any negative signs. He watched for sudden movements that meant she'd grab or hit him. Watched for her to reach out and grab something nearby. The girl only continued smiling with her left hand on her hip.

"I can't believe you went through all of that." Astrid whispered and looked down, referring to the story Hiccup had told her and her mother about himself. The boy nodded his head and looked down as well with balled fists. His auburn hair fell in his face and he hissed in frustration. He didn't know how to react to the different memories flooding his mind. Normally he'd be afraid and fly away. Now though he had a _home._ He couldn't just run away from his problems anymore. His memories.

"I'm not trying to upset you." Astrid whispered and lifted her hand. Hiccup tensed and growled at the sudden movement but didn't flinch away. He felt a warm palm cup his left cheek. Astrid's thumb swiped across his jaw line and he found his eyes closing. What were these emotions that he felt? How long had it been since he felt this calm?

"You're not upsetting me." Hiccup mumbled with closed eyes. He leaned into Astrid's hold as they stood their in the wooden walled hallway. The girl's parents were in the kitchen, oblivious to the kid's actions.

Astrid nodded with a smile. She observed Hiccup's traits with a warm look. His scars stood out at the corners of his eyes do to the lighting. She could see numerous pink and red streaks across his torso as if he'd been dissected. The more she thought about it, Astrid realized he probably had been numerous times.

With the hand that wasn't holding Hiccup's hand, Astrid reached forward and touched one of the deeper scars visible to her with her index finger. Hiccup tensed but didn't react much more. He shivered as the finger traced softly down the scar, ending at another one. It was when the girl's hand got too close to his waistline that the boy grabbed her wrist roughly with his hands and pushed her away. Not enough to cause harm, just roughly enough to get her off of him.

Astrid pulled her hand away from Hiccup's cheek and looked at him with wide, confused eyes. The boy locked his forest green-grey eyes on her baby blue ones with a serious expression. They stayed like that for a moment, locking gazes and exploring the other's soul. What was this warmth that seemed to spread throughout them?

As Hiccup looked at the blonde in front of him, a flashback of something Toothless had once told him came into existence. All he saw was dragon proof bars, white walls, and a slightly younger Toothless next to him.

* * *

 ** _"Toothless...what is love?"_** _Ten year old Hiccup asked in the dragon's tongue. He was temporarily blinded do to the experiments that had been done on him in an attempt to improve his sight. The boy had an IV in his rough skin and stitches on his face. His small black wings tried to spread out but hit the walls of his cage. His Night Fury was aloud to sit with him after he'd been through experiments in order to save the boy's sanity._

 ** _"Why do you ask such a question little one?"_** _Toothless answered his boy with another question. Hiccup sighed and reached out to blindly touch his dragon friend's head. When he found the black, warm scales, an unintentional Night Fury purr escaped his lips. They both thought nothing of it._

 ** _"The scientists have been studying me. They say that because I have the instincts of a Night Fury, I might fall in love one day. They said something about creating a new generation of experiments. I don't know what that means, so I thought I'd ask you because you're a Night Fury and have the same instincts as me."_**

 _Toothless sighed and wrapped his tail around the boy comfortingly. He was always the one who answered these questions._

 ** _"Love is a funny thing Hiccup."_** _Toothless began to explain to the young boy who was falling asleep in his wings. The dragon rolled onto his side so Hiccup could curl up against his chest._

 ** _"You do indeed have more Night Fury instincts than human. The scientists have made sure to bring those out in you ever since you were a baby. Us Furies...we mate for life. Once you find your mate-the female who you love-you're going to stay with her and protect her. That's what we do. When you love a mate you share your home, your nest-she is a part of your kin Hiccup. I once had a mate. She's still somewhere out there and I dream of her everyday."_**

 _ **"That's what love is my boy. Love is when you can't stand to be away from your mate. You love your kin, your children, your brothers, and your sisters. Your parents love you and each other. One day you will find your mate Hiccup. You'll know when you love her, and you will never have an attraction to another. That's just how our instincts work."**_

 _Hiccup nodded his head with a sigh and a smile. Toothless was his best friend and the closest thing he ever had to a father. The boy wrapped his arms around himself and drifted into dreamland._

* * *

Hiccup came out of his flashback when a gentle hand lay on his right shoulder. He flinched and looked at Astrid again, this time with a smile gracing his lips. He didn't know why, but somehow he found himself wondering if the emotions he was feeling were the 'attraction' his dragon friend had once told him about. He didn't even know exactly what attraction was, but this felt right.

"Are you okay Hiccup?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow and nodded his head. He looked into Astrid's eyes again which were filled with concern.

 _"You care about your kin."_ Hiccup thought with a warm smile. Just as Astrid was about to ask him what was on his mind, Agnar and Ingrid called the duo into the kitchen for dinner.


	7. Body heat

After dinner was eaten Hiccup was led to the guest bedroom by Ingrid.

"You can sleep here. Keep any extra clothes you might have in the small dresser in the corner. If you have any extras, feel free to put them on the nightstand. The blankets are fresh, so don't worry about someone else's germs being on them. Your dragon can sleep outside with Stormfly. Do you need a shower?"

Hiccup listened to Ingrid with a shy smile. He didn't know how to react to any of her questions. He shrugged his shoulders, before gesturing to his matted, dark from dirt hair. The older woman nodded.

"Alright. If you have an extra set of clothes I'll show you where the shower is." Hiccup made a confused sound in his throat and his wings drooped. Ingrid took notice of how the sounds he made and the way his wings moved seemed to portray his emotions.

"Do...do you _have_ any other clothes?" Hiccup shook his head. All he had was the red clothing he was wearing now which was honestly a bit too small and torn. He could wear his flight suit, though that was covered in blood stains and tears.

"Okay..." Ingrid trailed off. She suddenly snapped her fingers as an idea came to mind. "You're about Agnar's height. I'll grab you pair of his jeans. You probably won't want a shirt because...um..." She pointed to the boy's long wings and Hiccup nodded in understanding with what fraction of a nervous smile he could manage. He stood crouched on the bed with his claws gripping the sheets, still defensive.

"Alright...I'll go get those." Ingrid said a bit awkwardly from the door. "Do you need any help with the shower? I understand you have a prosthetic leg." Hiccup looked down a bit nervously before nodding his head with a lopsided smile. He made a sound in his throat, telling the woman he was grateful in the dragon's tongue.

Once Ingrid entered Hiccup's room once more she held a pair of jeans and a towel. She held out a hand. The boy took her by the wrist, shaking in his skin. He walked with Ingrid to the tile bathroom that stood across from Astrid's bedroom which was slightly larger than the guest room he was staying in.

"Alright. We don't have a shower chair but there's a metal bar you can hold onto. The shampoo and conditioner are in the corner. No one else has used the shower tonight so you should have plenty of hot water." Hiccup was listening to Ingrid, though honestly had no idea what she was going on about. He hadn't ever washed his own hair. Either Toothless had cleaned him when he was little or the scientists would wash him with hospital wipes. When his hair got too bad they'd only cut it.

"I-I don't know _how_ to work the hot and cold water. I was only ever cleaned by Toothless or by the scientists at the School." Hiccup explained just above a whisper. He leaned against the marble counter nearby with a hand holding himself up. His other hand was ready to defend himself. It looked as if he was subconsciously in a position to run away.

Ingrid looked surprised at first, then sighed with a sad smile. "Okay. I'll help you with that. Do you need help with washing your hair or anything like that?" Hiccup looked up at Ingrid with the same shy look as before. At first he tried to protest against the offer, but after a long silence found himself agreeing that he needed help.

Hiccup wore a pair of Agnar's old swimming trunks as he stood on one leg in the shower. He made numerous different confused sounds in his throat that sounded like that of a Night Fury as the warm water fell onto his wings. He felt a sense of relief as the dirt and crusted oils were washed off of his leather like jet black wings and scales along his spin. When Ingrid tried to sooth him by being playful when she began washing the dirt and mud from his hair he began roaring more playfully in response. Both members of the duo wound up chuckling when it was finally time for Hiccup to get dressed.

* * *

After he'd had a shower Hiccup lay on the white sheet covering the guest bed. His wings were curled around himself and he pulled the blankets up to his chest. Ingrid had offered for him to remove his prosthetic, but the boy had become defensive and said he would prefer to keep it on in case anything was to happen and he had to get around quickly.

Hiccup hummed as he was falling asleep and found himself subconsciously tearing the sheets on the bed with his claws. He closed his eyes and a memory flashed in his mind.

 _Eight year old Hiccup Haddock lay in a cramped cage with his twin brother. The other boy was identical to him as far as human traits went, but his dragon traits were deformed. One of his wings were jagged and smaller than the other. He had many more scales than Hiccup and the cells which formed his claws couldn't turn back to a normal human look like his brother's could._

 ** _"Halden I want some of the blanket."_** _Hiccup growled to his twin in the dragon's tongue. The other boy smiled and tossed half of their thin hospital blanket to his brother. Like other cold blooded animals, Hiccup and Halden were unable to keep themselves warm on their own. Do to their human side they were able to produce_ some _of their own body heat, but do to their young age and the lack of their evolving ability to produce fire they still had to be kept in a room that would be too hot for any older dragon or normal human._

 _The boy's dragon proof cage was kept in a bigger room where many baby dragons and a few other animal-humans slept. The white walled room was like a giant incubator, and occasionally the boys would be allowed out of their cage to color. Of course this was only an experiment to see how much they could learn on their own without the use of other dragons or adults teaching them. The scientists allowed the boys their freedom only to study how much caution they'd need to take to keep the boys from escaping in the future._

 _Hiccup sighed with an annoyed groan as his wings popped. The cage was far too small for the both of them and his body constantly ached as a result. Halden felt the same way, though neither of them mentioned it. As far as they knew, this was just how the world was. They had never looked through a window to see what was beyond the walls of The School._

 _Halden began using his claws to tear at the blanket and Hiccup growled in warning instinctively. He too tore at the blanket as the scientists watching them through the cameras in the walls became confused. Halden was the one who growled this time and he swiped at his brother with his hand as if he would attack him._

 ** _"What's wrong with you?!"_** _Halden shrieked to his twin in the dragon's tongue. Tears sprang to Hiccup eyes and he growled. **"I can't help it! Something in my brain doesn't want you messing up something in my territory! It's my instinct!"**_

 _Halden was now the one who had tears on his cheeks. Both boys were so confused. It wasn't their fault, it was their living situation. Their dragon instincts told them that they were both growing males and therefor both had their own territory. Thanks to the small cramped space they were kept in, the boys-being as young as they were-were unable to fight the instinct to take their own territory. It became obvious to the scientists watching them that the boys would have to be kept in different cages._

Tears fell down Hiccup's cheeks as he lay in bed and finished his third tear in the sheet below him. That was the last day he'd ever _touched_ his brother. The only contact they had with each other was talking through the bars of their cages. That was...until Halden died a year later do to infection in his body.

Agnar was passing by Hiccup room when he saw the boy shivering. He knocked on the door causing Hiccup to roll onto his other side quickly and wipe his tears. He growled in warning, and the man at the door noticed the tears in the sheets.

"I was just wondering if you were okay Hiccup. You were shaking. Are you cold?" Hiccup sighed and tried to cover the tears in the sheets as best he could with his body. A part of him was afraid he'd get in trouble. He shook his head.

"A lot has just taken my energy today. Once I'm out of fire I can't maintain my own body heat until I get my energy back. Blankets don't help." Agnar's eyes widened and he became worried immediately. Hiccup could sense the emotion and concern and he became confused.

"Hiccup I wished you would've told us. If I hadn't noticed you shaking you could've frozen to death. There's a heavy snow storm coming." Hiccup's eyes widened. He hadn't expected the Hoffersons to worry this much. He knew that they offered him a home out of kindness but didn't believe they also worried this much for him.

Agnar walked closer to Hiccup, not making any sudden movements as to not scare the boy. Hiccup shivered more as the energy in his body that was keeping him warm left him little by little. Just as his skin became pale and he was too tired to keep himself warm any longer, Agnar wrapped both of his arms around the boy.

"Would being with your Night Fury help you?" Agnar asked. Hiccup nodded his head and tucked his face into the man's shoulder as he shivered. "I-I can't w-walk to him." He whispered.

Agnar nodded his head and lifted the boy into the his arms. Hiccup yelped in surprise but was completely unable to react any more.


	8. Cold

Hiccup lay curled up beside Toothless with purring sounds escaping his throat while he slept. Agnar had plugged in a floor heater nearby and told his wife he'd be sleeping near the boy in order to keep an eye on his body heat.

At first Hiccup had struggled to sleep do to his fears and the cold. When he lay beneath Toothless' wings though he felt safe as he always had growing up. The Night Fury was like his only family. A safe place to go to. Most kids had parents or guardians. Not Hiccup. He had his dragon. His best bud. _Toothless_ was the one who taught him about the real world. He was the one who taught his boy how to walk and speak the dragon's tongue. Most importantly, Toothless was the only one who could make Hiccup feel like he was _safely_ in someone's arms.

As a baby Hiccup-unable to hold onto a mother like most baby dragons-had clung to Toothless' chest as he slept. The boy actually still had a scaly scruff just above his wings, though it had tightened up for the most part. Do to the fact that he was still an adolescent though, the Night Fury was still able to grab Hiccup by the scruff and pull him back into his wings when the boy began to roll in his sleep do to the stress on his body and nightmares.

Agnar watched in fascination as the Night Fury grabbed his human by the loose patch of scales along his neck to maintain their position. Hiccup didn't flinch or react at all. Instead his purring-an odd ability which most humans didn't have as far as he knew-seemed to grow louder now that he knew he was being held. He seemed more like a baby animal than a person. This was reasonable do to his inhumane treatment. For all Agnar knew, Toothless could've been the main one who raised the boy.

"Agnar?" Ingrid asked as she entered the living room. The man looked up at his wife with a smile. He felt Hiccup's forehead with the back of his hand and realized the boy was becoming colder. He no longer shivered, but humans tended to shiver to produce more body heat. Hiccup could no longer to that for the time being, so his body must've naturally known shaking wouldn't have helped.

"What brings you in here dear?" Agnar asked as his wife sat down on the floor next to him. "I know that I have to work early shifts tomorrow, but I am unable to sleep. I keep worrying about the boy. I could hear ya'll talking from the bedroom."

Agnar nodded with a frown as he looked at Hiccup with a stern gaze. They had to do something as the storm outside was only going to make the house grow colder. If the power was to go out...Hiccup would be in even more trouble than before and do to his disabilities-if one could call it that-would more than likely die in his sleep.

"Ingrid he could be in trouble. What are we supposed to do? He absorbs heat, and can only _produce_ it for a limited amount of time. He can't keep himself warm when he's asleep." Ingrid sighed. She was the nurse so it was obvious her husband would ask her for the medical help at some point. Unfortunately it was obvious that the boy trusted her husband and daughter more than herself. This made sense because of her career. She was the one with the gloves so to speak.

"He can absorb heat and is obviously not able to absorb enough from Toothless who's body works the same way. We're born humans. We're the ones who can produce body heat he can absorb." Agnar raised an eyebrow and looked at his wife in confusion.

"What are you saying Ingrid?" Ingrid looked down and shook her head. "Hold him Agnar. He's never been held by humans before and he'll be more comfortable with you than with me. Toothless will be unable to sleep and give the boy his heat at the same time. Dragons just don't operate like that."

Agnar's eyes widened and he balled his fists. "Ingrid I care for Fury. He's the hero who saved our daughter. There's no chance in Thor that he'd let me hold him though." Ingrid shook her head and placed a finger under her husband's chin. She looked into his eyes sternly.

"Dear...he's too tired to fight you. I know it sounds wrong or like I'm using him, but this is the only way we can help him. He might protest against it, but like a person with hypothermia he is too tired and cold to move. He needs help and you're the only one who can give it to him."

Agnar nodded to his wife and kissed her cheek with a warm smile. He crawled closer to Hiccup, Toothless growling at first before the man explained what was going on. Ingrid watched as her husband wrapped a blanket around himself to hold in his own body heat before he wrapped two arms around the boy.

Hiccup groaned in slight protest and perhaps pain as he was lifted much more. Rather than fighting Agnar his eyes remained closed and just like he had many times with his dragon...he curled up against the man's torso in an attempt to seek out any trace of heat he could find.

Agnar shivered when he realized just how cold the boy in his arms was. He pulled Hiccup closer and folded the boy's wings inward. It seemed the dragon human was so exhausted and confused do to the cold around that he was unable to comprehend that the man holding him wasn't Toothless. Instead he simply slept on and continued purring in his sleep. It was honestly an oddly cute scene to behold in the dark of night.


	9. Hiding place

**(A/N) For the next two days chapter may not be updated because I'm going to two people's houses over the weekend. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Agnar woke up and was surprised to see the dragon boy he'd come to know was no longer in his arms. The Night Fury was still asleep, Ingrid was at work, and Astrid was at school. The time was around 9 AM and the man could hear a playful roaring up in one of the wooden corners in the roof. Astrid used to use a ladder to climb up there when she was little and used the hidden section of the roof as a play place. She'd moved all of her dolls and other belongings to her bedroom when she'd grown older.

"I see you found a new hiding spot eh Hiccup?!" Agnar called up into the roof with an amused smile. Wide forest green eyes and a head of auburn hair could be seen as Hiccup's head popped out from his hiding place near the second story of the house.

"I uh...I-I didn't think you'd mind. Th-There were just s-so many p-people moving around this morning and um..." Agnar smiled warmly as the boy stuttered and tried to explain himself.

"It's alright Hiccup. That used to be my daughter's hiding place though she no longer uses it. Feel free to hide out. We won't mind so long as you don't break anything." Hiccup smiled brightly and nodded his head. Before another second could pass he was back into the shadows where no one could see him.

The boy in the roof seemed to be talking to something up in his hiding place. Once Agnar thought on it, he remembered his daughter had once left a small stuffed dragon up in her hiding place. It was a toy from the girl's grandmother before Ms. Kayla had passed away.

"Hey uh...by any chance is Astrid's stuffed dragon up there Hiccup?" Agnar asked up into the roof. A roar escaped the boy before his head came into sight again. Hiccup looked down at the man shyly before a shrug of his shoulders and wings.

"Y-yeah. The little green one with the blue and black wings? Kind of reminds me of a Nadder hatchling." Agnar nodded his head. That was the one. He saw how Hiccup held the dragon toy by the neck as if it was a real newborn and had a scruff. He also remembered how Hiccup himself had a scruff as well.

"You've taken a liking to that toy?" Agnar asked from his spot on the floor. Hiccup blushed and hid back into the corner so it was a little harder to see him though he was still visible.

"You're not upset are you?" Hiccup asked the man down below with a cautious tone to his voice. Agnar's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "Of course not Hiccup. I was just curious. You know...if you'd like the hold onto it Astrid doesn't ever pay the thing any attention anymore. Feel free to keep the dragon and hiding place for yourself. I'll have to let my wife and daughter know so they don't think you've run away of course-" Both young men chuckled.

"Though other than that feel free to do what makes you comfortable. You deserve it." Hiccup smiled down at the man on the bottom floor of the house. A warm feeling spread through his thin form and emotions he'd never known before came along for the ride. What was this feeling?

Hiccup sat back in his newfound hiding place once Agnar left him alone. He was able to spread his wings a little so didn't feel cramped like he had in the cages at the school. He felt as if this was something that resembled a nest. A home. Somewhere to stay and feel safe when he was tired. The boy found himself scratching the wooden pillars around him. He didn't feel as if he was breaking something so didn't believe he was breaking Agnar's rules. This was what he'd always done when he'd found a new safe place. His favorite things to layer around his hiding places was leather because it was harder to tear.

The roar of a Night Fury could be heard downstairs. Hiccup gripped the sides of the opening and looked down at his dragon who walked along the hallway looking for his friend. The boy let out a welcoming roar causing Toothless to look up at him.

 **"Hey bud."** Hiccup called down to Toothless in the dragon's tongue. The Night Fury nodded. **"Hey my boy. I see you've found a new place to stay?"** Hiccup nodded as well with a half smile. **"Agnar is fine with it so I'm not taking over any kind of territory here. Astrid used to stay here."** Toothless growled in agreement before heading outside to play with Stormfly in the creek behind the house.

Hiccup smiled and leaned back into his corner with the stuffed dragon held lightly in his hands. He made humming sounds in his throat as if he was soothing it. This kind of thing just came naturally to him. It had been this way since he was around sixteen. Perhaps his dragon side naturally caused him to be more like a parent or protector to baby dragons now that he was coming of age. What ever the reason may be, despite this stuffed toy being an inanimate object it made Hiccup feel comfortable and safe.


	10. Bonding

**(A/N) This one is a tad bit short compared to the others. I hope you enjoy!**

Agnar was cooking lunch before he had to head to work. Astrid usually took the bus home from school and stayed home alone for 2-3 hours while her mother finished up work at the hospital. Now that Hiccup was here the man needed to let the boy know that he'd be alone until Astrid came home from school.

"Hey Hiccup?! Care to join me for lunch?!" Agnar called over his shoulder. After a minute or two he could hear the boy approaching him from behind hesitantly. When Hiccup realized there was nothing in the kitchen that could hurt him he stood strait and walked to the counter.

"What are you making?" Hiccup asked. Agnar turned to face him and could see a bright curiosity hidden behind the dull gray color in the boy's eyes which seemed to resemble his past. A cloud over normally creative forest green emeralds as a consequence to the experiments that had been done on him.

"I'm making stew for lunch. The dragons have fish outside. Are you okay staying with them while I'm gone? I have to go to work until late and Astrid will be home in an hour and a half after classes end." Hiccup smiled warmly at Agnar and nodded his head.

"The dragons and I can handle ourselves." Hiccup told the man next to him with confidence. His wings stood out strait and Agnar knew he wasn't using his tone to lie about his emotions. The boy was happy to stay with his dragon.

Once Agnar left the Hofferson household Hiccup grabbed a bowl of stew left for him and ran outside to meet up with the dragons. Toothless and Stormfly were sitting with their tails curled together as they watched the birds fly in the skies above. They were in the fenced in backyard with a creek behind the house so he knew no other humans would see his wings.

 **"Hey guys!"** Hiccup growled in the dragon's tongue. Both dragons welcomed him over with open wings. The boy leaned into their hold and snuggled his face into Stormfly's warm neck. She was comforting. Most older female dragons were. Males on the other hand were a bit more stern like Toothless was, though they loved their kind all the same.

 **"Toothless tells me you guys are staying here?"** Stormfly questioned Hiccup who nodded against her. She wrapped her body around him and Toothless smiled at the sight. He remembered when his mate once did the same with their hatchlings before they were slayed by the School. Oh where she might be now...

 **"It's a temporary solution. Toothless says this is the only way I'll get the resources I need."** Stormfly seemed saddened for a second at the answer she was given. She pulled back to look at the seventeen year old laying next to her. She sniffed the scars along his eyes and tenderly licked them.

 **"Why don't you stay? I never get company."** Hiccup looked at Toothless for an answer who sighed.

 **"Look Stormfly...Hiccup and I have never really had good experience with humans. After her escaped the lab I vowed to never let him be taken back by those who are evil. We can't stay in one place too long. It's too risky."**

Hiccup looked down sadly as his dragon spoke. He brought up a hand to scratch the sensitive scales along Stormfly's chin that all Deadly Nadders had. The female dragon purred.

 **"Just enjoy us while we're here. Okay girl? We'll never be too far."** Stormfly nodded lay down again with her now found friend snuggling against her for warmth. A light layer of snow managed to stick to the ground after the storm that had hit the previous night though with the dragons around Hiccup was comfortable.

* * *

A while after Hiccup had fallen half asleep with the dragons he heard someone enter the front of the house. Once he realized it was Astrid the boy walked through the back door and met the Hofferson girl in the living room where she smiled warmly at him.

"I guess my father told you mom wouldn't be home for a bit right?" Hiccup nodded his head shyly and looked around. He spotted the corner in the roof and held out his hand.

"Your father told me you used to have a hiding place in the roof. H-he told me I could use it. Would you like to hang out with me?" Hiccup asked the girl with a smile. Astrid nodded and took his hand. The boy couldn't fly very well but his wing was working well enough to lift his friend and fly to his hiding spot.

Astrid was amazed by how fast her friend's wing healed. Perhaps it was just another odd trait he had. The duo hid back in the corner and Hiccup spoke to the stuffed dragon hid up there in a few strips of his leather shirt as if it was nesting. Astrid chuckled at the interaction and was content with simply watching Hiccup rather than forcing him into a conversation. He would come around to being more comfortable with humans in his own time. Somehow she felt this offer to share a spot that was labeled as his was secretly a way of the boy bonding with her.


	11. Home-school

About five days had past since Hiccup began staying with the Hoffersons. He went for flights every night in his Fury costume to let off steam and wound up helping the police as usual in the process. Toothless was growing quite attached to Stormfly and the dragon boy's wing was finally healed for the most part. There was a thin part in the skin where a hardly noticeable scar lay. The rest of his wing though was strong.

Ingrid was at work and Astrid was at school this rainy Monday. Toothless was hunting for fish in the creak with Stormfly and Hiccup sat at the kitchen table with Agnar. The boy needed an education and do to his fears of other humans the two Hofferson adults agreed to take turns homeschooling him.

Hiccup already knew how to spell, was quite extraordinary with science for obvious reasons, knew basic algebra as a result of his experience in the lab, had studied a bit of social studies from different books he found though hardly knew a thing about history, and was around the level of a fourth grader when it came to reading. He only knew Nordic unless you counted the dragon's tongue as a second language.

"So...you're telling me that by summer you want me to be able to read _this._ " Hiccup pointed to the front cover of a seventh grade junior fiction. Agnar nodded and lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. He flinched back but managed to relax under the gentle touch.

"I'm not trying to pressure you into anything Hiccup, but you're seventeen years old and reading is the only subject you're too far below average on. You'll be eighteen in a year. It's not your fault you've only been able to learn as much as you have. Unfortunately those who raised you didn't give you the necessary resources. Ingrid and I are pressuring you to learn because we want you to succeed. I understand we've only known you for a week or so, but in that short period of time we've come to realize that we're raising you now. You deserve to be taught by those you trust."

Hiccup frowned and looked down at his hands. This warmth being shared with him by other humans was so foreign. The only nice people he'd ever known were his brother and Night Fury. He'd spent days at a time talking to himself in the dragon's tongue. He'd spend hours roaring to a wall until he'd managed to teach himself how to speak beyond basic words in Nordic. He'd watched the scientists write on their charts and taught himself how to spell medical terms by carving them into the tile floors in the bottom of his cage with his claws.

Now...Hiccup wasn't roaring to inanimate objects or secretly reading the papers adults were writing on. He wasn't too focused on not getting stabbed by scalpels to learn how to read the word 'blue'. He wasn't spending weeks at a time learning how to navigate his surroundings blindly because he'd recently gone through eye surgery.

No... _Now_ Hiccup was being _taught._ He didn't have to struggle to find a books, but was rather being handed them by the nurse he had feared at one point. He wasn't being licked clean by a dragon as a baby, but rather being bathed and learning how to turn on a shower. This was all new and a struggle but...it was a _good_ kind of new. A foreign kindness he'd never known before.

"O-Okay..." Hiccup whispered as one corner of his mouth curved upwards into the tiniest of smiles. Agnar removed his hand from the boy's shoulder and opened up a paper book with lessons on reading. In order to get to his goal by the summer...Hiccup had _a lot_ of lessons to get through. They had to start as early as they could.

* * *

"So E-Emily found her wagon in Jackson's y-yard. It turned out the boy was the...the..." "You can't sound these kinds of words out Hiccup. You've got to remember what you learned in the charts. This is all about memory and piecing sounds together. Think of it like remembering the routs to fly home every night after you finish helping the police."

Hiccup sighed and placed his hand on the book again. He growled-actually _growled_ like his dragon side tended to do-and tried again. Eventually he found out the word was 'thief' though there were a number of times he confused it with the word 'the' and even 'at'. The boy had amazing sight as far as spotting objects went do to the procedures that had been done on his eyes, but Agnar couldn't help but wonder if the experiments that had been done on the boy affected his near sight and ability to read. The Hofferson father had noticed a number of times that Hiccup's eyes tended to blend words together. He couldn't read the words 'the' and 'at' if they were above each other in a paragraph. If the word 'the' was by itself though Hiccup had no problem spotting it.

"Alright...that's enough reading for today. Why don't you try lesson one of the math book review and once you're done I'll check it out and see if you're a few grades higher or if Ingrid needs to help you start from scratch while I'm working tomorrow."

Hiccup smiled and nodded in agreement. He grabbed his pencil and went to work on the review while Agnar picked up around the house and started a crock-pot dinner for his daughter and wife when they got home. By the time he was done Hiccup had finished the review with a passing grade. The duo went through a few questions the dragon boy had missed and agreed that they'd continue on the next chapter in the morning.

Astrid and Ingrid entered the home at the same time just as Hiccup was putting away his books. While Astrid asked her friend if they could go outside and see if the dragons would let them go flying, Agnar pulled his wife into their room to have a talk with her.

"Ingrid I agree that this boy needs a home. I have no problem in housing him but you know that if he's staying with us then we have to give him the education and supplies he needs so protective services don't get caught up in his situation. It's obvious that Hiccup or 'Fury' doesn't like attention, and if other found out about him they'd all be at him with cameras. The less authorities involved in his life the better."

Ingrid nodded and her husband took her hands in his. "Now that that's out of the way..." He started. "There's something else I need to talk to you about. Hiccup has exceptional sight when it comes to distance and far away objects, but I'm afraid the treatment he received may have affected his ability to read."

Ingrid listened as her husband explained his worries to her. She nodded and smiled once he'd finished and the married couple went over different ideas to help Hiccup. Unfortunately most of them including public schooling, the authorities, and eye doctors. They knew the boy would have to show his true side at some point, though they vowed not to do anything behind his back.

 **(A/N) So yeah I'm kind of sorry that these past four chapters have been abnormally short. I really hope you're enjoying this story and I will be back with more updates tomorrow just as long as I don't have a job interview. If I do and I actually get the job then I'm afraid the updating schedule will go from every evening to every 1-3 days. Basically you'll have 2-3 updates a week instead of 7. Let's just see what the future holds fellow dragon riders and maximum ride fans.**

 **Common Fears will be back for another adventure later! (I'm trying to find a new catch phrase).**


	12. Molt

Rain pored outside. The Hoffersons and dragon boy had just finished eating dinner. Once again Ingrid helped Hiccup with a shower since the boy still didn't quite know how to use it properly. By the time everyone was calmed down and ready for bed, Hiccup and Astrid had a little bit of free time.

"So how have things been? I know you were nervous to stay here." Astrid asked her friend. They sat on a branch in a tall tree in the back yard. Hiccup was wearing a pare of Agnar's jeans again. Ingrid had told him that they'd go shopping for him some clothes soon.

Hiccup shrugged his wings and pet the head of the stuffed dragon that usually stayed in a nest made from torn pieces of his clothing in his hiding place in the roof. Agnar had given him a piece of leather to put up there so the bottom was more leveled out. He'd decided the boy needed a private area to work on his reading and the boy hardly ever stayed inside of the guest bedroom other than to sleep.

Despite the rain that fell Hiccup and Astrid were mostly dry thanks to the large black wings that sheltered them. Astrid looked at the left wing and saw that a round scale seemed to be hanging loosely from the limb. She didn't know that such a thing was supposed to happen. Was it a sign of injury?

"Hiccup...are your scales supposed to come off of your wings like this?" Astrid asked as she tugged lightly at the scale. It was a dead grayish color and came off without much effort at all. Hiccup sighed and folded his arms around himself almost self consciously.

"That's why I wanted to come outside in the rain. Cold water helps. Just like a dragon sheds its scales I shed mine. The difference between us is that most of my body is human skin, which doesn't shed like the scales do. When I shed it sometimes hurts and there's oils that cover my wings. The oils are hot and I become irritable. I wanted to hang out with you, yeah, but I mostly needed to come out here for the cold rain and to keep myself from snapping at anyone."

Astrid smiled and lay a hand over Hiccup's chest where a scar was. The boy flinched.

"So...it's a win-win then. You protect me from the rain and get some relief from the oils at the same time?" Hiccup nodded as a tiny smile danced on his lips. Something about this girl made him feel warm inside.

"Maybe you should tell me mom about this." Astrid said when she reached up to touch another loose scale. There was blood on it. "I know that Stormfly can sometimes have bad sheds that can be painful for her. She'll start bleeding just like this. Sometimes it's because her body doesn't produce enough natural oils and sometimes it's just because her body is too dry. Other times it's because she's growing too fast. If that's happening to you then you could get an infection."

Hiccup looked at the scale hanging loosely from his wing. When Astrid's finger rubbed over it she hit a sensitive area where the blood and raw skin was. A roar of pain and surprise escaped his throat. He grabbed both of the girl's hands and held her arms in place. Their eyes locked.

"P-please don't do that." Hiccup whispered in an almost fearful tone. He'd never asked someone to stop doing something painful before and them actually stop. The only other time something similar had happened was when Ingrid was doctoring his wing.

Astrid's eyes widened and they seemed to hold concern. She let go of Hiccup's wing and leaned her body against his chest. The boy's heart beat sped up and for unknown reasons his cheeks heated up.

Hiccup could feel himself losing the energy in his body that kept him warm. He told Astrid what he'd told Agnar about not being able to maintain his own body heat after a certain amount of time. The girl immediately took action and insisted they go inside. As much as the dragon boy wanted to stay outside in the cool rain so his wings didn't cause as much discomfort...he knew he had to get to someplace warm.

Hiccup and Astrid entered the Hofferson household where Agnar and Ingrid were talking on the couch. Hiccup still held the stuffed dragon in his arms. He looked in the living room and saw Toothless and Stormfly laying near the fire place. They were speaking about a planned flight into the mountains. It seemed they were planning on going on a trip. Hiccup would have to ask later.

Astrid was about to ask her mother if they could talk to her about Hiccup's shed, but the boy had other ideas. He immediately smiled when he heard the conversation going on between the dragons and he walked to the fire place. Astrid couldn't help but laugh when the boy jumped over Stormfly's back and landed right between the two. Both the Night Fury and Deadly Nadder had no idea he was coming over and roared in surprise. Hiccup only smirked with a look that made it obvious he was proud of himself for being so sneaky.

 **"What's this I hear about a flight into the mountains?"** Hiccup asked the two dragons who were still a little surprised by the unplanned visitor. Toothless smiled and wrapped his tail around his boy. He could feel how cold Hiccup was and told Stormfly to help keep him warm. Hiccup's eyes closed unwillingly and he purred when both dragons curled their tails together and made a sort of nest with their necks and torsos keeping him warm. His stuffed dragon fell out of his hand and into his lap.

 **"I'm just talking to Stormfly about my plans to find my mate one day now that we've escaped the school. Don't worry though Hiccup it won't be for quite a while. You've got enough on your plate now."**

Hiccup didn't say anything because of his sudden exaustion, but he nodded and purred louder. Toothless saw that his boy was shedding and nuzzled his left wing. He saw the blood coming from Hiccup's scales and knew the boy was having trouble with the molt.

 **"My boy you should ask the Hoffersons if they have a cold cloth you can use. You need to wipe the blood and oils from your wings so you can make way for a healthier molt."** Toothless whispered to his rider who was now slightly grumpy do to being so tired. The boy growled.

"I-I don't want to. I don't trust people and it will hurt anyways. Maybe later." Hiccup accidentally whispered in Nordic rather than the dragon's tongue. Ingrid-who was rather close by-heard him and looked at him curiously.

"What are you three talking about?" Ingrid never thought she'd ask such a thing when referring to dragons. Hiccup looked up in surprise and backed up into Toothless who licked him reassuringly.

"Um...Toothless was wondering if you had a cold cloth." Hiccup mumbled when Toothless roared at him in warning. The dragon wasn't trying to scare the boy, but had to be stern if Hiccup was going to listen. Ingrid kneeled down next to them and Stormfly squawked happily when one of her three riders scratched her sensitive spot under her chin.

"Of course Hiccup. May I ask why you need it though?" Hiccup was about to say never mind, but Toothless growled sternly once more. He flinched and answered, "It's because I am having a bad molt. Astrid said it sometimes happens to Stormfly too. Toothless wants me to clean the blood off of my wings."

Ingrid smiled warmly and told Agnar to get a cloth and bowl of cold water. She then turned back to the dragon boy.

"Would you like me to help you? I don't think you can reach every corner of your wing with how long they are." Hiccup flinched at the offer, not liking the idea. The scientists had done this same thing many times before, but every time they were everything _but_ gentle.

Finally Agnar brought the bowl and cloth in. After some persuasion from his dragon he allowed Ingrid to clean the sensitive bleeding areas in his wings. His arms were crossed over Toothless' back and his face was pressed against the corner's of his elbows. He growled and made irritated noises. The cleaning caused some pain but mostly irritating discomfort that made the boy just want to yell at the woman to stop. He knew that she was just trying to help though. Toothless purred in a comforting manner.

Once Ingrid had finished she left Hiccup to the dragons. The boy was nearly asleep by the fire place when she stood up and once she was gone the boy almost immediately fell into dreamland with the two dragons next to him forming a make-shift next with their bodies to keep him warm. Toothless used to do this all the time when he was little.


	13. ExSA1, ExA2, ExA3, and ExSA4

**(A/N) Sorry for not staying on the update schedule. This chapter and the rest of the story will be very loosely based on the third movie as far as the Light Fury goes, but there are no spoilers. You don't even have to have seen the trailers to get this. Only the idea of the Light Fury is used, though the new girl in this chapter was created by yours truly. Enjoy!**

Hiccup flew out in the chilly night air with his dragon. His wings were still shedding a little but he was able to fly with his Fury suit on for periods of time. He'd just saved a girl from few gang members and flown her to her parent's house. In the past he would've never done this, but with Astrid and the Hoffersons as an example of how humans could be he was willing to take a few chances here and there.

Suddenly a screech similar to his and his Night Fury's was heard nearby. Hiccup raised an eyebrow and looked at his dragon.

 **"What in the name of Thor was that?"** Hiccup asked his dragon through his mask. They flew closer to the trees down below, just above a forest. Toothless looked just as confused as he did.

 **"I can't tell you I know my boy, but the call sounds familiar. It's a female, that's for sure, but I don't know what species. She sounds and smells like a Night Fury from this distance, but not quite. I say we find her. We don't know if she's in danger and she's one of us, not like those humans who we can't figure out."**

Hiccup smiled even if his dragon couldn't see it. The roar echoed again and they couldn't tell if it was coming from the East or West side of the forest. They parted ways and agreed to meet up at the Northern lake if they didn't find anything. The forest wasn't very big.

As Hiccup flew he sensed another presence. The roar he heard was no doubt female, he could tell that now. He landed in some trees and removed his mask. With practiced ease he hopped from tree to tree until he came to a clearing. Laying in a patch of grass was not a dragon, but a person.

Hiccup's eyes widened when he saw the girl in the clearing. At first he hissed to himself thinking it was a trap. Then...He saw her wings.

 **"Who are you?"** Hiccup asked in the dragon's tongue. The girl bright white leather like wings and red hair turned around immediately and growled defensively. The boy could tell her leg was injured and she had scars across her crystal-blue eyes, just like him.

 **"I'm not here to hurt you."** Hiccup insisted and held out his hands. He spread his wings in a welcoming manner. **"See? I'm just like you!"** In any other situation with a human out in the wilderness like this Hiccup would've put his mask back on and kept his guard up. This girl was no regular human though. She was the only dragon human he'd ever met who survived infancy other than his brother. As far as he knew, this girl was the only other successful experiment. He could see her scales as she too wore no shirt, along with some on her thighs do to her blue shorts. Her hair was muddy and her body bruises. Had she recently escaped one of the Schools?

 **"I've never met another like me."** The mysterious girl said with curiosity and fear all in one. She propped herself up with her arms and stood on all fours with her injured leg bent at an odd angle. Hiccup knew it was painful.

 **"It's okay. Lay down. I'll take you to someone who can help with your leg."** Hiccup insisted. The girl hissed at him and he flinched back. A low growl escaped his throat and they both made eye contact. Their black and white wings fluttered though they dared not move. After sensing that the other was not planning on doing anything but defending themselves, both dragon-humans relaxed and the girl allowed Hiccup to walk closer.

"What's your name?" Hiccup asked the girl in Nordic to see if the dragon's tongue was the only language she knew. She smiled but then frowned. "I'm sure you know why I have no real name. I'm ExSA4." Hiccup's eyes widened but he regained his composure.

"I go by Hiccup...but I was once just like you. My first name was ExSA1. Are you sure there was an 'S' in your name?" ExSA4 nodded with confused eyes. "My twin and an infant who didn't survive were the 2nd and 3rd members of our log. They were both unsuccessful. ExA2 and ExA3. You're the only other successful dragon-human I've ever met. Did you escape the school recently?"

ExSA4 nodded with a sad expression. "Just a week ago. There was a female I knew...she was a Light Fury just like me. She was like a mother figure to me. She once had a mate who was a Night Fury. She talked about him all the time. He must've been the one used for your DNA, seeing as Night Fury's are supposed to be extinct and all. The scientists would've never let him escape."

Hiccup remembered Toothless once mentioning a mate who was separated from him by the scientists. "I think you're right. His name was Toothless. Your dragon?" ExSA4 smiled with a blush. "I named her Luna. We got separated in an explosion. I was looking for her when I injured my leg in the trees. I don't believe I'm as good at flying as you are."

Hiccup nodded with a sympathetic smile. "I'm not too used to the outside world either. I escaped one of the Schools just about 7 months ago. I've been staying with a family known as the Hoffersons."

ExSA4's eyes widened. **"You're staying with** ** _humans?!"_** She screeched and tried to back away but wailed when a sharp pain surged through her leg. Hiccup lay a hand on both of her shoulders and shushed her.

"You're going to think I sound stupid but...not _all_ humans are who we think they are. The scientists were evil, but these people actually hate them just like we do. Astrid is the girl my age. Ingrid is a nurse-and yeah I'm a bit hesitant because of her career-but she helped me anyways. Agnar is a police officer, and he actually wants to shut the organization down."

ExSA4 suddenly looked curious. "So...you're saying with the help of these people the School might be _destroyed?_ All those experiments and dragons I left behind..." "They might find freedom just like we did. Think about it ExSA4! It's going to be hard to trust the Hoffersons, and I still don't know if their completely genuine, but if they do by some miracle turn out to be telling the truth...we would _never_ have to go back there. No experiments, no surgeries... _freedom._ "

ExSA4 made a happy sound at that. She was hesitant, but allowed Hiccup to lift her and take her to Toothless who was beyond relieved to know his mate was still out there.

 **"Luna was mine indeed ExSA4. We had hatchlings at one point before being taken by the scientists. Hiccup...I told you that my DNA was merged with yours but that wasn't the whole truth...both mine and Luna's DNA was used. The same thing happened with ExSA4 but when she was born I thought she had died because I never saw her. As it would turn out it seems that they only moved her to the same School Luna was taken too."**

Hiccup and ExSA4 looked at each other with wide eyes at hearing this. They looked at Toothless with confused expressions. The dragon looked sad, as if he wanted to tell them something else but knew it would hurt them.

"What's wrong Toothless?" Hiccup asked his dragon after making a confused sound. The dragon sighed.

 **"Hiccup...you and Halden weren't just twins...you were** ** _triplets._** **ExSA4, ExA2, and ExSA1 were all born at the same time. ExA3 was the only one with a different mother, but she was also a different dragon. You three are related. In all honesty considering the fact that we didn't see Halden die and the scientists lied about ExSA4's death...there's no telling if they lied about him too. He might still be out there. You know that I love you as my own but...this is your chance to have a** ** _real_** **family my boy. You two are the same but she was more Light Fury, you Night Fury. Perhaps it has something to do with your gender."**

Hiccup and ExSA4 were beyond shocked at this point. They gazed at each other as if they had seen a ghost. Their wings touched and they felt something. They were both the same. Part dragon-part human, and had the same mother.

They were siblings, and Hiccup was going to do everything in his power to make sure he didn't lose her like he had his brother.


	14. Eyesight

**(A/N) This one's pretty short but I hope you enjoy!**

ExSA4 absolutely _refused_ to live with her brother and the Hoffersons. Hiccup flew her to the house and Ingrid wrapped her leg, though why as Hiccup would be staying in the home his sister was given permission to live in the creek. She would see her brother everyday and fly with him at night, though she absolutely did not like the idea of living with humans. Hiccup could understand it.

"It's kind of sad that your sister won't agree to live with you." Astrid told her friend as they sat on the couch and watched TV. Both of their hair was wet after previously showering and Hiccup put the pants to his black Fury suit back on. His prosthetic rested against the couch though he became defensive if anyone tried to touch it.

"It would become harder for your parents to live with _two_ dragon-humans anyways." Hiccup said as his friend lay back in the curve of his wing. He smiled at her. "I can understand where she's coming from. For the first six months after I escaped the lab I wouldn't talk to people either. She only escaped a few weeks ago. I can understand the fear of not wanting to be taken back. I still get to see her though."

Astrid frowned as a thought came to mind. "You and your brother changed your names. Shouldn't she be called something other than 'ExSA4'?" Hiccup looked down and a concerned roar escaped his throat unwillingly. Toothless' head perked up from his spot on the floor. He was as tired as his rider and had his own confusion to deal with.

"She'll call herself something in her own time. That's what _we_ did after all. I didn't have a name until I was six years old." Hiccup said. The TV made a loud sound caused by a gun in the movie they were watching and he flinched. Agnar-who sat in the recliner nearby-turned down the volume with the remote.

Astrid watched her friend with a smile as the movie went on. In one scene a man was reading a piece of paper visible for the audience to see. Why as the girl and her father could see the black lettering just fine, _Hiccup_ squinted and strained his eyes.

"Are you able to see the words okay?" Astrid asked causing her father to look up at them. The boy's shoulders came up as if he was shy and he nodded. "Yeah...I mean I _do_ have great dragon's sight." He said with a nervous chuckle. "It's just always been hard for me to see letters close up. I think it has something to do with the experiments." He admitted as his face fell. His forest green emeralds widened temporarily as a memory hit him with full force, but the roar of Toothless brought him out of it. Astrid guessed this was a normal occasion.

"Hiccup...I know you don't like medical professionals but I believe you should have your eyes checked. This could be something that could get worse over time." Agnar offered.

Hiccup pressed back against the chair and his hand flew out as if someone had just thrown a brick at him. He looked at Toothless who purred in an attempt to sooth him. Astrid rubbed his wing gently from where she was curled up beside him.

Hiccup looked at Agnar with a fearful look. His eyes seemed a little apologetic for the outburst as well. "I-I'm not having anyone look at my eyes okay? I-I'm sorry...I-I shouldn't be so quick to say no to you after a-all you'd done but...I just can't."

Agnar couldn't quite understand why the boy was as fearful as he was but he knew it had something to do with Hiccup's past. "Okay my boy. We'll wait to talk to anyone until _you're_ ready."

Hiccup was a bit taken back and he looked down with a shy smile. He then looked at Toothless who smiled as well. He moved his head forward in a motion to urge the boy on, telling him he was okay.

Toothless was the only one who had ever called Hiccup 'my boy' instead of Fury, Hiccup, or ExSA1. Agnar himself had no idea how much his words had an impact on the dragon boy and simply went back to watching TV. Astrid on the other hand seemed to catch a hint of the shy reaction to the phrase and she brought her hand up to touch his cheek with a warm smile. Hiccup flinched and tensed when her fingers came a little to close to the scars across his eyes, but eventually relaxed into the touch.


	15. Roar

"Agnar...I can't do this." Hiccup groaned in frustration. His wings fluttered annoyed and his face was scrunched up in concentration. Toothless was out flying with Stormfly and the two woman of the house were out shopping. Agnar was helping Hiccup with his schoolwork who sat at the dining room table.

"Never say 'can't' my boy. Nothing is impossible, only improbable _. You_ Hiccup...are one for making the improbable come to life. Don't give up so easily."

Hiccup smiled as Agnar moved to his side and looked at the book he was holding. The boy was on chapter four of his most recent book assignment and was having a hard time getting the words apart. They all seemed mashed together, switched around, and too long to read. Words like 'friend' and 'boy' were easy. Words such as 'opponent' or 'regardless'? Not so much.

Agnar could see as the dragon-boy next to him shifted in the chair. He could hear the boy's frustration in the little roars he'd unconsciously let out. Hiccup obviously needed some space, but also needed to continue his work.

"Why don't you study in your little area in the roof? I actually have a surprise for you up there." Hiccup looked up at Agnar with wide, curious forest green eyes. He hopped up with inhumane speed and balance, before digging his claw into the wall and getting to the roof with one leap. His book was between his teeth.

Agnar looked at the wall below Hiccup's spot in the roof with a sigh. There were numerous claw-sized holes where he'd grabbed on like he would a tree trunk. Telling the boy that he couldn't damage the property would be no use as Hiccup tended to act on impulse. Perhaps the man would have to give him _something else_ to grab onto.

A happy roar came from the hardly visible dark corner in the roof just above the top of the stairs. Agnar chuckled to himself and shook his head. The night before Hiccup had been sleeping in his bed instead of his hiding spot for once. Agnar had been going through the basement while fixing the washing machine and found a box of Astrid's old stuffed toys. Two of them had been stuffed baby dragons, so the man thought it'd be nice to give them to Hiccup as surprise.

Hiccup sat up in his corner with a smile. His wings folded around himself in a dome so he was hidden. It was a natural instinct to him really. He lay the two baby dragon toys that he'd found in the nest he'd made before. In the nest were strips of leather from his old red shirt and a few of the hard scales that had shed from his wings. He was still having a hard time with the molt, as there were still wounds even after his wings had finished shedding. It'd been three weeks since that day and he was beginning to fit in with the Hoffersons really well.

Hiccup lifted his book into his hands and continued to try reading with the little blue and green dragons 'sleeping' next to him. A part of him just couldn't help but treat them is if they were alive. No one could blame him really. They _did_ look pretty realistic.

* * *

Agnar and Ingrid returned home with the things ready for dinner in the bags in their arms. Agnar helped them carry the stuff in while Hiccup finished the last three pages of his current chapter in his book. He'd also taken breaks from reading to get his math done that day and was going to do extra science tomorrow so he could catch up.

"Where's Hiccup?" Ingrid asked with a smile as she sat her purse down. The boy was hardly ever out before the sun was setting, and when it was dark he was out flying. When things like heavy lifting or other chores were being done though, he helped with his extra strength and claws. No one told him to, but it was just the dragon-boy's way of pulling his own weight while he was staying over.

Agnar chuckled and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the stairs. Ingrid smiled and looked up to spot a boy gripping the side of the entrance to his hiding place and looking out at her. He had a lopsided smile and his book held between his teeth. He roared to get Agnar's attention.

Agnar turned and cocked his head to the side when Hiccup roared. He crossed his arms and shrugged. "I can't understand the dragon's language Hiccup. I need you to speak Nordic." He told the boy with a half smile. Hiccup suddenly seemed to become upset judging by his facial features. He tried again but wound up screeching louder.

Ingrid raised an eyebrow and-do to being a mother-was able to sense that something was wrong. She held out her hand and waved the boy over. "Come down here Hiccup." When the boy tensed she smiled and added, "I don't bite."

Hiccup used his wings like a parachute and jumped down from his hiding spot in the roof with his book still held between his teeth. He handed the book to Agnar who took it to the shelf and tried to sooth out the teeth marks from the cover.

"Hiccup what's going on?" Ingrid asked when she saw the nervous features in the boy. Similar to when he was frustrated his wings folded inwards and the edges were jagged. It was the same appearance they had when he was angry too, but the difference was when Hiccup was mad or defensive his wings were spread out as wide as they could get, not folded in.

Hiccup raised a finger and tried to speak but yet another roar came out. He wanted to call for Toothless for some backup but then he remembered that the Night Fury was with Stormfly and wouldn't be back until that afternoon. He looked at the woman in front of him with wide eyes before an idea came to mind. He screeched with something resembling a backup call.

* * *

ExSA4 could hear the sound of a Night Fury in distress. She started flying in the direction it came from before she the Hoffersons house came into view. She'd seen Toothless and Stormfly leave a few hours ago. It didn't take a genius to know her brother was the one who needed help. She flew through an open window and almost immediately stood at Hiccup's side.

Ingrid's eyes widened and she was shocked to suddenly see ExSA4 in her house. She realized when the boy had screeched he was calling for her.

Hiccup looked at his triplet who had eyes full of concern. **"This happens occasionally. For some reason It's been happening a lot more now that I'm older. I don't know if it's actually connected to being 17 but that's all I can really think of. Can you tell her I can't speak?"**

ExSA4 looked at her brother with a smile. She looked at Ingrid with a defensive gaze and studied her. When she knew the woman wasn't going to hurt her-as the female dragon-human didn't have the experience with the Hofferson's that Hiccup did-she translated Hiccup's words to the Hofferson woman.

Ingrid smiled and nodded in understanding. "I can kind of understand that. Most boys go through voice changes around your age and considering that you have the vocals of a dragon as well I would imagine they'd have to train themselves just as much as your human voice does. That's the best solution I can think of."

Hiccup cocked his head to the side and his sister became jittery. "Uh...l-look Hiccup I _really_ want to help you. I just...I can't stay here. Come into the forest with me and we can talk. I'll tell you where I am but...not them." ExSA4 gestured at Ingrid with her head.

Hiccup reached out his hand and tried to grab his sister by the arm but...she left as soon as she had appeared. At least they were making _some_ progress in their sibling relationship.

Ingrid reached out for the boy's hand but he flinched back. He looked at her with a sigh. Hiccup looked at the book shelf nearby and remembered when he'd write down some of the words he needed to sound out in school with a piece of paper and pencil. Maybe now he could write down some of the words he needed to _say_ instead.

Within the blink of an eye Hiccup grabbed a piece of paper and marker from the book shelf. He looked at Ingrid with a half smile and wrote down what he was thinking.

 _I don't really understand what you mean. I haven't met other people my age. Only Astrid and my sister._

Ingrid took a second to figure out what the boy was referring to, but she soon realized he didn't understand what she meant about other boy's voices changing at his age. She thought he probably noticed his voice changing from that of a child to a teenager at some point, but didn't believe anything that would affect his ability to separate roaring from speech would occur.

"I'll talk to you about that later. Right now we just need to figure how to help you figure out what to do when this happens. The whole 'voice' change thing and more frequent shedding _could_ connected, as most teenagers your age go through voice change and growth spurts. You're body just seems to have a hard time keeping up because you're built differently."

Hiccup looked at Ingrid, not quite understanding everything she was saying, but was happy she was just as interested in finding a solution to this little hiccup as he was.


	16. The school

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! Sorry for sort of late and honestly short update, but I hope you enjoy! If you like Hiccup whump, you're in for a treat!**

The wind blew through Hiccup's hair outside as he flew. His sister was at his left and they laughed. Astrid, Ingrid, and Agnar had all agreed to fly Stormfly and Toothless next to the duo. It'd been six months since Hiccup had met the Hofferson, and he was now rather close with the family.

"I told you this would be fun!" Hiccup half said-half screeched through his mask. A couple of scales flew off his wings as he was finished another shed, though he was good enough to fly. ExSA4 or 'Aubrey' as she'd decided to name herself in the past month looked at her brother. She wore a white suit and white mask. Her and her brother looked an awful lot like the 'yin-yang' symbol when they flew upward and spun around each other.

Astrid smiled as she saw Aubrey and Hiccup fly up ahead. She felt a warm feeling within herself and held tighter to her father who was sitting in front of her on Stormfly. Her mother was on Toothless. The family laughed as the two dragon-humans bickered and flew over the forests of Berk. They were roaring in their own language, though anyone who knew they were human could tell they were arguing about nonsense like any triplets would.

Suddenly, the sound of a flying dart was heard nearby. Hiccup heard it coming and flew upwards just in time. His sister did too and they looked behind them to see both Toothless and Stormfly had been shot. Agnar and Astrid landed on the ground with painful groans, the Aubrey managed to catch Ingrid just before she could hit the ground.

Hiccup shrieked and flew towards Toothless. He pat his best buds head and tried to wake him up. Both dragons were out like a light. Aubrey was about to run to Astrid and Agnar when a flying net caught both her and her brother.

"Don't move!" Three men with guns shouted to the Hoffersons while they watched helplessly as the dragon-human teens struggled from within the net. The wires making the net seemed to be giving off tiny bits of electricity which were slowly exhausting both Hiccup and Aubrey.

"Let my daughter go!" Agnar shouted when one of the men lifted Astrid and threw her into a cage. When the door shut a dart shot out of the lock and made the girl fall unconscious. Agnar and Ingrid were both shot before being moved to the same cage.

Tears welled in Hiccup's eyes as he looked up at the man. The outfit he wore...the gloves...the smirk like he'd just captured his prey-there was no doubt this man worked with the school. Aubrey was already crying under her mask and Hiccup wrapped his arms around her just before both of them were struck with darts and fell asleep.

* * *

Hiccup's eyes opened and the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer wearing his suit. Instead he was dressed in loose white clothing. He looked over and realized Aubrey was wearing the same thing he was. Once his vision had cleared enough to see farther away, he realized they were both in a large cage. The room they were in was covered in white walls and metal rolling trays. They both had IV needles stuck in their wrists.

 **"No!"** Hiccup shrieked in the dragon's tongue as tears began to sting his eyes. He didn't see Toothless anywhere. He'd never been trapped in the school without his dragon to help him. He though he was free. Anger flooded through his body and he tried to shoot a plasma blast at the walls of the cage, but a band on his wrist with a sensor beeped loudly and he felt a surge of electricity stop him from firing. His whole body tensed up and he fell back with heavy breaths.

"Hiccup?" Hiccup turned to his left and saw the Hoffersons. Relief flooded through him as he realized they had nothing to do with this capture. If they did, they wouldn't be in cages too. Astrid was in her own cage, Agnar and Ingrid in a pretty large one, and Hiccup and Aubrey were pretty much in a dragon proof dog kennel.

Aubrey opened her eyes and had the same reaction her brother did. Only when Hiccup wrapped his arms around her did she calm down. Suddenly, a man wearing a white coat who held a remote control in his hand entered the room. Both dragon-human's hissed, Astrid glared with her hands gripping her bars tightly, and Agnar and Ingrid held each other close with looks of anger in their eyes.


	17. Found

Hiccup sat in a cage separate from both his sister and the Hoffersons. His legs were bent so his knees were touching his chest and his wings were folded around his thin form protectively. It'd been a week since they were captured. He shook in his skin.

"Hiccup." Astrid whispered from her own cage. She'd give anything to be able to hug the boy close. Hiccup only growled when his name was mentioned and he ducked his head so his bangs fell over his bandaged eyes. Of course-out of _all_ the experiments they could've done on him-the scientists just had to work on his vision. Not with machines and lenses like most eye doctors. No. They had their own way of doing things. His forest greens were dissected as if he was a high school science experiment.

A man walked in to check the blood pressure and IV of Aubrey. Agnar-furious that this organization even existed-sat up on his knees from his and his wife's cage.

"The police know that by taking Hiccup in we were in danger of you people! You're _sick_ an when we're found the authorities will know what you've done to us and you'll be shut down! How could you hurt these _children_?! They've done nothing wrong!"

Hiccup and Aubrey pressed their backs against their cells. The yelling frightened them. The scientists checked Aubrey's vitals and simply left, not bothering to flinch at Agnar's words. The man fumed and hit the side of his cage before falling back. His wife rubbed his shoulder soothingly.

When the scientist left Agnar sighed and his wife tried helping the fearful boy. "It's going to be okay Hiccup. We're going to get out of here." Just as she said this a loud banging sound was heard in the roof. Hiccup's head cocked to the side and he smiled for the first time in the past week.

 **"Toothless!"** Hiccup roared out happily. He couldn't see do to the bandages on his eyes, but could hear the Night Fury calling out for him. They were saved.

 **(A/N) So yeah this one is super short. I mainly wrote it because I needed to get this A/N out there. Dear readers, I will not be updating this story other than once or twice a week for the next few weeks because I have appointments I'm attending, am going through a depression phase which my body tends to go through after I've had a manic episode for a period of time (induced by bipolar disorder), and am studying for both my GED and driver's license. Wish me luck! Updates will start becoming longer and faster in the future after all of these tests and stuff are over with.**


	18. Navigating blindly

**(A/N) Again this one is pretty short but I hope you enjoy!**

It was taking a while for Hiccup to recover from being captured again. Aubrey was even more distant from the Hoffersons and hardly even spoke with her brother now days. Toothless and Stormfly were over protective of their riders-even more than usual actually.

Hiccup sat in his little hiding space in the roof. He no longer wore his bandages but he could only see out of the corner of his left eye. Ingrid and Agnar had offered to take him to the hospital, but Hiccup insisted that this had happened before and his eyes usually took a week or two to heal.

"What are you doing up there Hiccup?" Astrid called up to the boy in the roof. Hiccup hid a little further back but when he roared in response it sounded happy. His wing was curled protectively around the four stuffed dragons in their 'nest'. He'd made another nest out of leather Agnar had given him as a way to cope. Two green stuffed dragons lay in one nest while the other two 'hatchlings' were in the other and covered in shed scales.

"Can I join you?" Astrid asked a little more quietly. She heard a roar of protest in response but didn't take it personally. That was usually how Hiccup reacted. In the beginning he was afraid to say no to anyone who wanted to come near him because this wasn't _his_ home. The hiding place he now stayed in had become his territory. It had his claw marks, his scales, his scent, and most importantly it had _his_ hatchlings. They weren't alive, but the stuffed dragons had been something Hiccup had unintentionally become attached too. They were like a safety net for him in a way.

"Can you come down here?" Astrid tried. She heard the ruffling of Night Fury wings and within a few seconds Hiccup was standing in front of her. He may not have been able to see, but he'd been through this before and was pretty good at navigating blindly. With that said he still tripped a little over his own two feet when he landed though Astrid was able to catch him.

"Are you okay or do you need my help?" Astrid asked referring to the boy's lack of sight. Hiccup shook his head with a half-smile.

"I uh, I know your house pretty well now. When I've been somewhere this long it gets easier to tell where everything is." Astrid smiled warmly and took his hand anyways.

"Well...I'm going to help you just in case. You can get a little clumsy sometimes." She chuckled when he growled in protest with a slight blush. "If that's okay with you."

Hiccup smiled and nodded his head. He held out his hand and allowed his friend to take it. The dragons were in the creak talking to each other and Agnar was at work. Ingrid was doing the laundry.

"What if we worked on your schooling so you have something to do?" Astrid asked Hiccup. He hadn't been able to work much do to being a bit isolated after escaping the school.

Hiccup cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I can't see the pages though. How am I supposed to do the work?" Astrid smiled warmly and brought her hand up to rest on his cheek. Hiccup didn't flinch at the touch for the first time.

"You won't be able to practice your reading skills, but maybe I can read your math problems to you and you can work on those. I can also quiz you on your spelling." Hiccup smiled and nodded his head. The duo sat at the table and began working.

About an hour later Ingrid entered the kitchen after finishing her house chores. She smiled at the sight of her daughter teaching the dragon boy at the table. Hiccup seemed to be at a higher level on his math and was skilled at spelling. The Hofferson woman decided to leave the kitchen and give the two some space to themselves.


	19. Maya

**(A/N) So sorry for late reply. I give you new chapter! More mentions of Halden in this one.**

About three weeks had passed since Hiccup had begun recovering from his...trauma. He'd worked with the Hoffersons to increase his education and social skills. Would he ever go to a doctor or public school? Probably not for the time being. He _was_ however capable of going out to the park during the day with his wings hidden under his shirt.

"What's on your mind?" Hiccup asked Ingrid who sat on a bench. The Hofferson woman was sitting next to her sister and chatting away about the other woman's three-year-old son. What no one knew-other than Ingrid and her sister themselves-was that baby number two of the Wingdens (Ingrid's sister's husband's name) family was six months into development. The baby bump Ingrid's younger sister had was surprisingly unnoticeable.

"I think we should let them have their time." Astrid quickly said as she grabbed Hiccup's arm. She knew her mother had been planning this date to hang out with her sister for a while now but hadn't had the time. Hiccup himself knew this as well but he could sense stress, worry, anger, or sadness by a person's smell, heart-rate, and small movements normal people couldn't notice. Despite his past with 'The School', the teenage boy had a protective instinct. This was most likely due to his Night Fury side as the Hoffersons had seen Toothless carrying similar characteristics.

"It's okay Astrid. I think it's nice Hiccup wants to be so social." Hiccup blushed and ducked his head a little in some shyness he wasn't aware he had. Ingrid smiled and pat the seat beside her.

"Actually Astrid...there's something I need to tell you." Astrid smiled and sat down next to Hiccup and her aunt. "What is it Aunt Maya?"

Maya smiled and took her niece's hand in hers. "You're going to have a new cousin." Astrid raised an eyebrow before everything clicked. She smiled brightly and placed her hand on her aunt's stomach.

"How far along are you?" Astrid asked with a spark in her eyes. Maya smiled widely and told her niece that she was six months in.

Hiccup looked down and took Ingrid's hands in hers. He angled his head a little and looked at her with the corners of his eyes so she knew he was talking to her. "What are they going on about?" He questioned in genuine confusion.

Ingrid raised an eyebrow and squeezed the boy's hand. "Astrid's aunt is having another baby. Her other child is three years old." She answered with a smile.

Hiccup let go of Ingrid and his wings drooped beneath his shirt. The woman noticed the movement from beneath his clothing and placed her hand on his back. "Your wings are moving." She whispered to him. Hiccup blushed.

"S-Sorry...I don't notice it sometimes." Hiccup whispered bashfully. Ingrid smiled and rubbed his back gently. Most people would see a comforting gesture. Very few would ever know that she was actually helping him fold his wings back so no one would notice the movement.

"I still don't quite understand. Toothless very rarely spoke to me about human development. He always taught me more about my dragon side when I was growing up." It took a second as Ingrid processed the information while blocking the sunlight out of her eyes, but she quickly came to terms with what the dragon-boy was telling her.

"So...you aren't aware with how a child develops?" She asked in an attempt to not be blunt. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, his wings once again moving so Ingrid had to stop them. She helped him place them back. Astrid and Maya were so caught up in their girl-to-girl conversation about the new baby that they didn't notice anything the other two on the bench were doing.

"Well...I mean Toothless went over the basics. The scientists taught me very little too because-well I mean..." Hiccup suddenly seemed to become very bashful and Ingrid immediately lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. The boy closed his eyes tightly and his wings went jagged beneath his shirt. This tended to happen when he was stuck in a bad memory. The Hofferson woman remembered that the boy sometimes got caught up between the dragon's tongue and Nordic when he was in this state. It suddenly clicked that they were in the middle of a open park with other people.

They had to leave quickly. For Hiccup's safety.

"Hey Astrid?" Ingrid called to her daughter who looked at her with a confused expression. Maya raised an eyebrow and looked even more confused than her niece. Ingrid tried to be subtle when she gestured to the tense boy in her arms. She had her left arm wrapped around his torso so his wings didn't move.

Why as Maya was confused as to what was wrong with her niece's friend, Astrid immediately got the message.

"Aunt Maya...we have to go." Astrid told her aunt in a rushed tone. Ingrid smiled at her daughter for taking care of the boy even if it meant interrupting her time with her aunt.

"What's going on?" Maya asked as she stood up and grabbed her purse. Ingrid stood up too and Astrid took her place holding Hiccup's wings down. The boy was shifting in her hold and she could tell that his wings were getting sore. She could feel them pulsing under his shirt as if trying to escape the clothing.

"Astrid's friend Hiccup has had a past. He's been staying with us every now and again but has PTSD. We are planning on having him see someone but he doesn't want to at the moment because he has a hard time trusting people. I believe he might be having flashbacks and he's more comfortable at home." Ingrid didn't lie, she just didn't go into detail.

"Well I understand. My husband and I once fostered a pair of brothers. They would be about Hiccup's age now. The two of them had trauma after facing a previously abusive foster home. They weren't related by blood, but were very close. One of them-Halden was his name I believe-had panic attacks very similar to Hiccup's." Something suddenly clicked in Maya's head and she grabbed Ingrid's arm, telling her sister to come closer.

"That was a few years ago, but there's something I want to tell you." Maya whispered. Ingrid looked confused. Where had she heard the name Halden before? She decided to listen.

"What is it sister?" Ingrid asked her younger sister quickly as she knew Hiccup needed to get home. She had never known that her rather distant sister had once been a foster parent.

"Halden honestly looked a lot like a younger version of Hiccup here. If I didn't know any better I'd think they were related." Maya looked down and became stern. "I am going to tell you something that you cannot tell anyone else. I want to tell you because you're my sister and Halden looked so much like Hiccup. You said the boy had no home right?" Ingrid nodded.

"Halden was a dragon-boy Ingrid. You're going to think I'm crazy but it's true. I'd keep an eye on Hiccup just in case there's some sort of connection."

Ingrid's eyes widened and she stepped back from her sister in disbelief. She _had_ heard the name Halden before. Better yet, ExA2.


	20. Conversation with sister

"Wait, wait, wait! _What_ did you just say?" Hiccup asked with his hands out in front of him. He was now standing back in the Hofferson living room with Astrid at his left and Ingrid in front of him. Agnar was off on a trip with some of his fellow police men regarding an explosion during a tornado.

"My sister knew Halden. I didn't tell her who you were or any of your secrets, but she told me that she once fostered a boy named Halden who had the same characteristics you have...including the dragon wings."

Hiccup was tense and he looked down with his mouth open. His sharper teeth switched out with his normal human ones and glistened in the light. His wings were jagged as he was now shirtless again. These were usually traits of his that made themselves visible when he was afraid of agitated.

A million thoughts ran through Hiccup's mind. Halden was alive? Toothless had told him there was a possibility but hearing that someone the Hoffersons _knew_ had _met_ him outside of the school...he debated with himself on his next move.

"I-I'm going to go talk to Aubrey. She's going to want to hear this." Hiccup mumbled before walking towards the back door. **"Toothless?! Wherever you are I need you to meet me in the creek!"** He growled loudly in the dragon's tongue. Just as he was out the back door to the house the Night Fury jumped down from a beam in the roof where he was having conversation with Stormfly who had become a very close acquaintance.

Hiccup flew with his dragon close behind him. He soared through the trees but was hidden by the leaves so no one could see him. The branches left tiny cuts all over his jet black leather-like wings but he didn't care. He'd dreamed of getting to have physical contact with his brother again ever since they were separated by cages because their instincts led them to hurting each other. Now he might get that chance.

 **"Aubrey!? Common sis I need you!"** Hiccup called into the creek below. Soon enough he saw a flash of bright white which glistened do to the light making its way through the tree tops. He heard a splash and halted before turning around and smiling. Aubrey stood there with shining blue eyes, barefoot in the ankle-deep water.

Hiccup glided down to the water and crouched on a tall, cracked rock. His right foot had no shoe and his left leg was curved at the end of the prosthetic. He wasn't wearing his black top but was wearing a pare of green leggings. Numerous scars were visible on his skinny chest.

 **"What are you wanting?"** Aubrey asked in a kind but stern dragon's-roar. She made her way closer to her triplet unbothered by the pointy rocks at her bare, slightly scaly feet. Her wings spread wide out to her sides and she smiled. Most regular men would be bothered by the fact that she wore nothing but a piece of cloth around her waist going down to her knees, but Hiccup had seen many experiments without their clothes before. The duo grew up in a science lab, so most things other people would consider abnormal didn't phase them.

 **"You know if you ever needed an outfit I'm sure Ingrid wouldn't mind giving you one."** Hiccup roared as he leaned back on the rock. His wings pressed against the walls of the creak to keep him balanced. Aubrey hissed.

 **"What's wrong with this?"** Aubrey questioned her brother. Most people would consider the question a joke or crazy, though Hiccup could hear the genuine confusion in her voice.

 **"Well I've had my run in with a few people after escaping the school. They always wear clothing covering their** ** _whole form_** **. In the school we hardly ever wore clothes, and when we did we were in hospital gowns. Society outside of that place considers modesty a big deal."**

Aubrey nodded her head. She believed her brother over anyone else. **"No one's going to see me anyways."** She roared unbothered by her uncovered breasts. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders with a smile before his expression turned serious.

 **"As for what I needed to tell you."** Hiccup began. He tried to crawl closer to his sister but she growled at him. The trust issues were evident. Aubrey had made the creek her home. Her territory. If she didn't want him invading her space he wouldn't.

 **"Territorial are we?"** Hiccup tried to lighten the mood. His sister glared at him and he sighed. **"Right. Well...I think Halden is alive. Our missing triplet."**

Aubrey looked at her brother confused. **"ExA2? Toothless already said he was probably alive."** Hiccup shook his head.

 **"No I mean...he's out their Aubrey. Ingrid's sister once knew him** ** _outside_** **of the school."** Aubrey's eyes widened and her wings went jagged. They nearly knocked her brother off his rock but the boy could turn his right foot's toes into claws just like his fingers by moving the cells. He'd been trained to do so and the experiments that had been done on him all his life gave him more than just wings. When he was a baby all he _had_ was wings and the ability to roar, but other experiments growing up made him more 'evolved'.

 **"And you're not at least a** ** _little_** **concerned that the people who took you in as soon as they met you knew your brother? Doesn't this sound like a set up?"** Aubrey growled her words loudly and the sudden tone made Hiccup jump in his skin. He crouched lower and growled too. Usually his instincts didn't work like this, but the Hoffersons had made their way into his flock. He felt the need to protect them. He also felt the need to protect his sister because she was kin. This was a conflict within. Did he chose the flock or the nest?

 **"Don't do this to me Aubrey. I've questioned them.** ** _Lived with_** **them. I've been sensing their emotions. Their different smells. I've been keeping me head up, listening for any changes in heartbeat. There's nothing suggesting they're lying to me. They're not stressed** ** _or_** **angry. There's no guilt either though that's a slightly harder emotion to sense."**

Aubrey growled and approached her brother. **"Tell me when you have an idea as to how to find Halden. If you don't know where he could be then I don't want you here."** Hiccup's eyes widened and he felt a pang of guilt.

 **"I-I'm your brother. Why don't you accept me here?"** Hiccup roared in a saddened, high-pitched tone. Aubrey's eyes narrowed.

 **"I love you, but I will** ** _not_** **hear anymore of this nonsense about trusting humans."** Hiccup stood up and reached out his arms. **"Aubrey** ** _you're_** **a human too. We both are."**

That line seemed to strike something. Aubrey screeched in a Light Fury's tone and Hiccup was honestly a little scared someone had heard them. Tears suddenly welled in the girl's eyes and her cheeks were red.

 **"Don't you** ** _ever_** **say that to me again!"** Aubrey screeched at her brother who covered his sensitive ears. **"You and I are only** ** _part_** **human! I** ** _hate_** **that a part of me is a member of that sick society! I only care about what Luna taught me!** ** _Humans_** **took Luna** ** _away_** **from me! They took** ** _you_** **away from me! I accept my dragon side Hiccup, and you should too. I only think of my human side as a deformity."**

Hiccup looked at his growling sister. He was frozen in place and at a loss for words. With an angry snort of his own he flew away without looking back. Tears welled in his eyes. Deep now he knew that he had once felt the exact same way. Thinking about it though only made him hurt. It seemed like no matter _what_ he thought about, he still felt pain.

Go figure. Seems like escaping the School didn't make the pain go away after all.


	21. Developing relationship

**(A/N) Sorry for late update guys and gals! I'm afraid this chapter is rather short but it's really not supposed to be much more than a little fluff to fill in for the reoccurring darkness in this story. I hope you enjoy anyways!**

Hiccup and Astrid sat in the the basement of the Hofferson house with smiles on their faces. They both held a remote controller and played Minecraft with each other. Astrid's fortress was much bigger than her enemy's and she'd already taken all the food in the area. Hiccup on the other hand had made a tree house and in the short amount of time they were playing had already set up traps around his base that would open and drop you into lava if you stepped on them.

"I am genuinely surprised you haven't played this before." Astrid said with a laugh when her and Hiccup met each other on a mountain and began fighting. Hiccup screeched in the dragon's tongue. The sound echoed through the room and his wings fluttered playfully. The boy backed his character up and waited for a creeper Astrid couldn't see to blow up behind her. The girl was thrown off the mountain and was left with only half a heart. This gave the boy-who had no armor, one piece of food, and two hearts-the outlet he needed to retreat back to one of his many shelters for the night. He planned on going back to his main tree-house base at sunrise. Astrid ate and retreated into the forest where she battled skeletons until sunrise. She needed the supplies for her bow and arrows.

"Hiccup! Astrid! I've got lunch ready!" Astrid and Hiccup both stood up. They gazed into each other's eyes with their common competitive looks. Astrid ran for the stairs and Hiccup climbed along the wall (which may I say left many holes in the walls which Agnar was constantly having to paint over).

Hiccup and Astrid squeezed through the door at the same time and Astrid cartwheeled into the kitchen only a few feet away. Hiccup on the other hand took to flying. They both wound up at the table at the exact same time though they both believed they'd won the race.

"I won!" Astrid shouted while throwing her fist into the air. Hiccup's eyes widened and he growled loudly. **"I won!"** He roared out in the dragon's tongue. Neither Ingrid nor Astrid knew the dragon's tongue, but it was easy to understand what the boy was trying to say.

"In your dreams dragon boy." Astrid said with a chuckle. She flicked Hiccup's shoulder and the boy made an annoyed clicking sound in his throat which in the dragon world was supposed to mean 'back off' or 'I challenge you' though there were no real words being roared. He wasn't threatening Astrid, only trying to tell her that he was the winner here. In the dragon world, who won what battles was important. This tradition of fighting for things like speed and knowledge would be used to determine Alphas, kings, queens, worriers, sentinels, and even who could mate with who.

"I actually believe it was a tie." Ingrid said with a warm smile as she sat two plates with hot-dog sandwiches on them in front of the kids. She too sat at the end of the table with a salad and coffee.

Hiccup cocked his head to the side in confusion and Astrid rolled her eyes. "Common mom! You know I'm faster than Hickey here will ever be." She gestured to the boy next to her with her thumb.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. **"Hickey? What does that mean?"** He asked himself in the dragon's tongue. Toothless laughed in the next room and Hiccup screeched at the Night Fury in annoyance. This only led to Stormfly laughing too.

"If I'm honest Astrid, Hiccup _does_ have the wings here." Hiccup held his head high and his wings spread as if he was proud of himself do to the comment. Astrid began to get angry but couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the shirtless dragon-boy next to her.

"You're such a dork Hiccup." Astrid stated while she pointed at the boy with her fork. Hiccup's wings drooped and he shrugged his shoulder's. "I thought this was well established Mi'lady." He spoke in a sarcastic tone. Astrid looked annoyed at the nickname because it made her sound weak. Ingrid on the other hand thought about the nickname more in depth. She said nothing about the obvious romantic relationship developing between her daughter and the dragon-boy. If they wanted to believe they were just friends at this young age in life she would chose not to butt in.


	22. Hiccstrid once more

**(A/N) Sorry for the late update guys and gals! This chapter is complete Hiccstrid and more mentions of Hiccup's past. Hope you enjoy!**

Astrid sat behind Hiccup with both of her hands lazily on his arms and her chin on his shoulder. The dragon-boy was doing research online and Astrid agreed to help him with working the computer.

 **"Are your parents going to be upset we're using their computer?"** Hiccup questioned the girl behind him. He thought nothing of her hands on his arms nor the warm breath on his neck. He was shirtless so his wings could air out. Of course Astrid couldn't speak the dragon's tongue so she had no idea what he had asked.

"I can't understand you Hiccup." Astrid whispered to her friend. Hiccup sighed and continued scrolling through different pages on the computer. The duo had taken to secretly searching for any traces of Halden on their own, starting with any kind of social media profiles belonging to a teenage boy who looked like he could be the identical twin of Hiccup.

 **"I-I can't speak...I-Astrid I can't talk! I'm sorry I can't speak Nordic. M-My body is doing that thing where it won't let me speak."** Hiccup began getting frustrated. In his 'speech' he would screech loudly in an attempt to get words out. Eventually he slumped in his chair defeated. Astrid couldn't stand the sad looking in his scarred eyes. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug from behind. Hiccup tensed and flinched, but after a short moment brought himself back to reality and allowed himself to enjoy the embrace.

"It's okay Hiccup. I get it you can't talk right now. Perhaps we should take a break?" Hiccup turned and looked up at Astrid with bright, narrow forest green irises. He allowed a half smile to grace his lips and stood up offering his hand to Astrid along the way in order to help her up from the stool she sat on.

Hiccup and Astrid ran out the back door. It was a Saturday so Ingrid was at work and Agnar took it upon himself to do the every-two-weeks shopping routine where one person left for the store in order to buy new bathroom supplies such a toilet paper and hand soap, shampoo for the dragon's to keep their scales from drying or flaking, and ingredients to put in the kitchen such as canned goods, herbs, vegetables, fruit, spices, and tea bags. Every four weeks the person shopping (usually Agnar since Ingrid had full days four days a week) would get a new pack of batteries, a big meal with desert, and new longer-lasting supplies like laundry detergent, dragon feed, and-now that Hiccup was in the home-paint, leather, and heating pads.

Hiccup flew up into a tree and carried Astrid with him along the way. They both landed on a large branch and Astrid clung to the boy next to her for fear of falling as it was a rather windy day. Hiccup used his wings to block the wind and provide shade.

Astrid noticed Hiccup was protecting her with his wings. She gazed up at him as he was slightly taller. One of her hands found its way to his chest and she could feel a feint yet rapid heart breath induced by flying with cargo. Hiccup smiled down at her for no apparent reason. A goofy look made its way onto his freckled, scarred features.

Astrid found her heart squeezing and a lump formed in her throat for reasons unknown. She brought her hand up and lay her thumb on the corner of Hiccup's right eye where the white scar was. The boy didn't flinch like he usually did and didn't seem to be in any state of a panic attack.

"I'm so sorry they hurt you Hiccup. You don't deserve to be without a home. You shouldn't have to be looking for your brother because he was torn away from you at a young age. You're the kindest person I know. I just...I have no idea how someone could've ever looked you in the eyes and still hurt you so badly."

Hiccup felt his own chest become tight at his friend's words. His wings were still wide in order to protect Astrid from the wind. He still was unable to speak, but the girl next to him could understand the meaning of the high pitched, almost purr-like roar that escaped his throat as his head moved forward in order to force the roar out.

 _'It's okay. You care about me, that's what matters'._ The dragon boy seemed to be trying to say. Astrid found a glass sheet forming in her eyes and Hiccup seemed to immediately sense the sorrowful emotion. He wrapped one arm around Astrid and she subconsciously lay her head against his chest. An accidental purr escaped the boy and he blushed. No matter how hard he tried he seemed unable to stop.

"Why do you only purr when I'm around?" Astrid asked as she looked up at Hiccup. She honestly never thought she'd utter that sentence to another human being.

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, his wings moving in the process. He tried to stop his purring and Astrid smirked with an idea. She pressed further against him and lay her hand on his chest. Hiccup-as expected-blushed and purred louder. Eventually he gave in and allowed Astrid to listen to the sound. She seemed to enjoy as it almost looked as if it calmed her down.

Hiccup smiled at Astrid once he managed to relax. He made a deep, low, rumbling sound in his throat that sounded both serious yet incredibly kind at the same time. Astrid couldn't really figure out the meaning of that particular roar, but she felt like she knew what the boy was getting at when he tucked her head under his chin and buried his face up to his nose in her hair. His eyes were uncovered so he could look out at the kids playing with their parents on the basketball court across the street.

They'd always have each other's backs.


	23. Care

Hiccup and Agnar sat on the couch with concentrated expressions. A book sat in Hiccup's lap as his eyes skimmed the page. The words became jumbled do to his worsening vision which was a result of the experiments done on his eyes. Agnar occasionally had to help the boy with reading bunched up paragraphs.

"You've been getting better at reading at fast pages." Agnar said with a smile. He lay a hand on Hiccup's right wing who spread the limb into the touch. He had indeed been getting better at reading at faster paces. He could finish a chapter of the current middle school book he was reading in less than fifteen minutes if he really tried. He'd also been getting much better at his mathematical studies.

"It's hard but I'm starting to get the hang of it." Hiccup mumbled. He finally finished the chapter he was on, marked the page, and sat the book down. He then picked up his cup of coffee (a drink he was very happy he'd learned about), took a drink, and then got his math book. He rechecked his work for another half hour before he was finished with school for the day. He'd done history and his spelling practice earlier that morning. Astrid was out with her friend Heather and Ingrid was at work for an emergency call after the hospital had said there weren't enough nurses on call. The Berk hospital and most other big businesses in the city didn't have nearly enough staff most of the time. There was also high crime rates, which was why Agnar took his job so seriously.

"You done?" Agnar asked the boy sitting next to him. Hiccup smiled and bent his knees so he was in his usual defensive squatting position on the couch with his wings out and back bent so he was facing the ground. For some reason he seemed to find this position more comfortable than sitting like a normal human being. It was most likely do to the bones that attached his wings to his back being bent the wrong way when he was sitting with his back strait.

Hiccup roared with an agreeing sound and Agnar smiled. He sat down next to the boy on the couch and grabbed the remote controller to the television. When he turned on the TV and set the controller down his hand accidentally landed on Hiccup's left thigh. The father thought nothing of it, relaxing back on the couch. Hiccup on the other hand went tense, and when Agnar shifted he screeched and stood.

Agnar's eyes went wide and he had no idea what he'd done wrong. His first thought was that he'd accidentally hurt Hiccup in some way and he raised his hand to apologize. Hiccup on the other hand had dug four holes in the wall with his claws so he could leap up into his hiding spot in the roof with such speed he was like a streak of colors.

Agnar had no idea what he was supposed to do. He stood up and walked under the place Hiccup was staying in. He cupped his left hand around his mouth. "Hiccup I don't know what I did wrong. Could we talk about it?" Hiccup didn't answer and after a moment Agnar noticed his wings were drooping, though that was about all he could say. Usually the boy's wings only took on that posture when he was feeling sad or confused.

Agnar knew Hiccup hated it when he did this, but he used the ladder that attached to the side of the wall and climbed up so he could see the boy face to face. Hiccup looked down and an angry sounded growl rumbled in his throat. This was a regular thing, and Agnar knew the boy would never hurt him but he was just territorial about this space-mostly because his four stuffed dragon toys were up there.

"Hiccup I don't know what I did wrong. Please tell me if I hurt you. If you're injured I need to help." Hiccup shook his head and made another saddened sound in his throat.

"It's nothing. I don't even know why I got so upset." Hiccup mumbled so quietly Agnar almost didn't hear it. He tried to move further but Hiccup became more agitated at the thought of another male getting closer to the stuffed dragon 'babies' he'd basically inherited by Astrid.

Agnar sighed and shook his head. He reached out a hand causing Hiccup to cock his head to the side in confusion.

"Why don't we go outside? Toothless and Stormfly are playing with that tree that fell in the storm yesterday." Hiccup frowned but nodded hesitantly. He glided to the floor and Agnar climbed down the ladder. They both went outside to the windy back yard and spotted Toothless and Stormfly in a game of tug-of-war. Hiccup couldn't help but smile. All his life he'd seen Toothless as an aggressive, stern brother or father figure. He'd never gotten to see that dragon so playful.

"It's a nice day out." Agnar said as he pulled out a cigarette. He didn't smoke often, just on occasion when he felt anxious or awkward, and never in front of his wife because that just seemed rude in his eyes. Hiccup didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah." Hiccup's wings opened so they could catch the wind. They looked like two domes at his back, and the only thing keeping him from being lifted off were the claws in his right foot. "It really is." He closed his wings and turned to face Agnar.

"I-I'm not mad at you Agnar. I honestly have no idea how you guys have kept up with us for so many months now. Originally Toothless and I agreed this was a temporary solution...but now I don't want to go. I don't know what we're going to do but that's a discussion for the future. Right now I'm just glad you care so much. I've learned you don't have the alturnative motivations I once thought you did." He smiled warmly and nodded his head.

"You guys just...care. I've never met someone like that before you, Ingrid, and Astrid. Thank you." Agnar smiled and nodded his head. He opened his arm and Hiccup-for the first time-welcomed the side hug without any hesitation or tensity.


	24. Brothers and sisters

Hiccup and Aubrey sat at the computer with Astrid sitting nearby in case they needed help. Agnar and Ingrid still had no idea the teens were searching online for anything that could lead them to Halden. Astrid allowed Aubrey to wear one of her shirts while she was inside the house. Somehow the girl managed to comply with the offer.

"Wait! Aubrey, Astrid, look at this. I'm not good with seeing things close-up." Astrid walked over and Aubrey examined the computer. She was unable to read but could see the pictures. Sure enough, there was a boy with a profile picture that looked like a mirror image of Hiccup. He had no shirt on, though from the angle it seemed like he had no wings. He'd colored his hair so there was a black strip in it, and he was standing next to a girl he called his adoptive sister. He went by 'Halden EX', which made sense in the big picture. He didn't have his own profile on the website, which made sense considering how many scientists were after him. Upon closer observation, this picture was taken by his mother and posted as her profile picture. Her only kids were Halden EX and her daughter who was also adopted.

"What are you going to do?" Astrid asked with a gentle tone. She lay a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, though do to her closeness Aubrey backed up and growled softly. The Hofferson girl thought nothing of it, and simply rolled her eyes. Hiccup stretched out his wings in a way that meant 'we mean no harms' with other dragons. Somehow this seemed to calm her.

"I-I don't know. Maybe we could make a profile to message this one? I don't know how all of that works, but maybe Agnar or Ingrid could help us." Astrid smiled and nodded her head. Aubrey hissed.

"I don't mind doing this with Hiccup, but if more of you guys are coming in here I'm out." Hiccup looked at his sister and nodded his head. He shook hands with her and before another moment could pass Aubrey was out the window and gliding back to the creak. Astrid and Hiccup took the lap-top to the kitchen where Ingrid and Agnar were both making dinner. It was rare that they were home at the same time like this during the day

"Hey mom?! We need help with something." Astrid shouted to her mom while holding up the computer. Hiccup stood behind her with his wings folded in. Both Toothless and Stormfly entered the house at that moment, wrestling each other to the ground in an attempt to get through the door as fast as they could. They collapsed in the kitchen, Toothless holding something in his arms.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked as he saw something long in Toothless' grip. Whatever it was had a long black streak along its back, and something auburn looking at the head. Upon closer observation Astrid and Hiccup both realized that the 'thing' in the dragon's arms was a human boy!

 **"Toothless! What you got bud?"** Hiccup asked his dragon in a roar. The Night Fury roared soothingly to what ever was in his arms. Stormfly ducked over his arms with a worried look in her eyes.

 **"Hey. Hello. Wake up."** Hiccup roared soothingly to the boy who was now squirming. It seemed he'd just woken up from being unconscious. Something must've happened to make him exhausted.

The figure in Toothless' arms rolled over. He hissed loudly and it was only then that Hiccup, Astrid, Ingrid, and Agnar realized the black streak at the back of figure were jet black wings. His hair was the same color as the boy's in the picture. When he rolled over he and Hiccup locked eyes which were the same colors. One of the boy's wings-unlike Hiccup's 'successful' ones-was smaller than the other. Not by much but enough to alter his flight. He also only had four fingers on his left hand, and his right ankle pointed outward near the heal as if it had been deformed.

 **"Wh-who are you?"** The boy roared. Hiccup smiled when he learned the boy could understand him. When Astrid and Ingrid stepped closer the auburn headed dragon-boy roared in warning. The claws in is right hand extended, but he had none in his left.

 **"Easy there. We're here to help."** Hiccup whispered in a roar.

 **"H-Halden"** The boy-Halden-roared in reply. After the information processed in both of their heads, both dragon-boys pulled away from each other. Hiccup backed up into Astrid who had kneeled next to him. Halden backed up into Toothless and held onto the Night Fury's front paw as if for support against his fears.

"Hiccup...H-Halden...are you..." Hiccup and Halden both looked up at Ingrid at the same time. Identical roars escaped their lips in sync and they both sat up on their knees so they were a little closer to each other. Despite Hiccup's missing leg and Halden's deformities.

"I-Ingrid...I-I don't know what to..." Hiccup couldn't find the words to say. Halden reached out to touch him, but he pulled away quickly with a growl.

 **"We're not supposed to touch!"** Hiccup growled to his long-lost-brother. Halden jumped back with a growl, not putting much pressure on his right foot.

"Hiccup...we're not there anymore. It's okay if we touch each other." Hiccup growled louder and shook his head. Ingrid believed she knew what was going on. In the School/Science lab Hiccup had said he and his brother were never allowed to touch or be in the same cage. Halden had gotten used to being allowed to touch people after having escaped for years and having his own adoptive family for so long. Hiccup had only had his own family for around five months now, having escaped the school eleven months ago. He didn't understand how different things really were, for his mind was still stuck in his own past.

"He's right you know." Ingrid whispered as she kneeled beside Hiccup. She gestured for her daughter to move so she could sit behind the boy and lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. Toothless was nuzzling Halden who was stiff as a board in anxiety. He didn't know what to do. Just recently he'd been on a flight with his adoptive mother's Gronkle who carried him long distances thanks to his deformed wings. Suddenly scientists from the school and a few of their experiments shot at him with dragon root darts. The Gronkle had fled and Toothless and Stormfly had saved the boy.

"About what?" Hiccup whispered to Ingrid. His left wing brushed against her hand and the woman smiled. She ran her hand up his wing until it reached his scaly patch of loose skin that was like a human version of a dragon's scruff just below his neck. When she rubbed the spot there it seemed to calm Hiccup's nerves a little. He enjoyed the sensation.

"You're not in the lab anymore. You're not an experiment. You are allowed to interact with your brother." Ingrid whispered in a calming voice. Hiccup smiled and one of those tiny purrs sounded in his chest. Luckily no one heard it so he wasn't embarrassed.

Hiccup and Halden looked at each other with weak smiles. They reached out their hands and locked fingers for the first time in years. In one swift movement the duo embraced each other. Toothless smiled and called out for Aubrey, who believing another dragon needed help immediately flew inside. When she saw her brothers hugging tears welled in her eyes. With hesitant movements she stepped closer. Both boys smiled at their sister with a nod, welcoming her into the embrace as well.


	25. Hospital part 1

Hiccup lay unconscious in a white bed with numerous monitors attached to his arms and chest. Agnar had found him unconscious on his police duties. After the Hoffersons had adopted the boy into their home a mere two weeks ago, Toothless said he would be gone for around a week or two in search of Luna. Hiccup had still wanted to fly on his own with his brother in the middle of the night. Thank the Gods Agnar was the one on police duty and arrived at the scene of both boys laying on the ground after a rouge Typhoomerang attack. Halden was still awake and insisted he was fine. He flew with his Gronkle back to his adoptive parent's house where he'd been staying. Hiccup on the other hand...was driven to the hospital by his adoptive father.

The hospital knew who Hiccup was. Would the boy probably kill Agnar for explaining it to them later? Probably. But Hiccup needed medical help beyond Ingrid's control. He had long gashes along the front of his torso which were now stitched up. He lay shirtless on the bed, his left wing held together by metal bars after being broken in at least six placed. The Dragon boy still had yet to wake up, and had no idea where he was.

As Agnar sat beside the bed, holding Hiccup's hand, the boy's eyes began to flutter open. He had an oxygen tube hanging below his nostrils, and a feeding tube in the right side of his nose. He'd been comatose for a week and thanks to the way his body worked had begun losing weight much faster than the average human without food.

The second Hiccup recognized the scents and feelings around and on him he tried to sit up with a screech. His eyes were wide and pain shot through his broken wing when he attempted to move. Agnar threw his arms out and wrapped them around the boy, allowing Hiccup to press his face to his adoptive father's chest. Tears welled in the boy's eyes as the sensations around overwhelmed him.

"Shh it's okay Hiccup. This isn't what you think. We're not in the School. We're not in any lab. I promise. Just...open your eyes." Hiccup shook his head 'no' but eventually gave in. As he shook in his skin he opened his eyes and looked around. This wasn't what he was used to in the lab. For one he was on a bed and not in a cage. Two there were no needles laying around the floor. Three the room was much smaller than the ones he'd be operated on in. Where was he?

Hiccup mumbled something in the dragon's tongue, sounding afraid. Agnar smiled warmly and used one hand to play with the boy's hair in an attempt to sooth him. Hiccup was still stiff, and he stuck out his tongue to move the tubes near his face. Then he realized they were taped to him.

"Wh-What's going on?" Hiccup demanded, the pain in his wing becoming fiercer than before. He ran his thumb over the line in his wrist, then realized there was a heart monitor on his index finger. It was only now that he noticed the little sticky things with lines attached to his chest, and the fact that he was in a pair of scrub bottoms instead of his usual wear.

"We're in the hospital Hiccup. You were badly injured. Your brother is back home. Astrid is at school and Ingrid is working on a different unit." Hiccup processed information before becoming more tense. He didn't want to be in a hospital. They scared the scales off of him.

"I-I don't wanna be here." Hiccup said with a roar in his tone. "I-I wanna go home. I don't like it here." He sounded as if he was on the verge of crying. Agnar felt pain just hearing the voice. He and the Dragon boy had developed a father-son like bond over the months. Ingrid was still making progress as Hiccup still refused to trust the nurse completely, but Agnar had come to view Hiccup as his own.

"I know. I don't want to be here either Hiccup. I know how much you hate hospitals." Agnar placed one finger under Hiccup's chin so the boy would look at him. "I promise you Hiccup nobody is going to hurt you. I'll make sure of that."

Hiccup's eyes widened at the comment. Only Toothless ever used a voice _that_ protective with him. He could sense Agnar's breathing and heart rate. The man wasn't lying to him. He actually seemed to be calm and concerned at the same time.

Suddenly a nurse walked in the room with a chart in her hands. She stopped when she saw Hiccup awake and stopped in her tracks. She'd been told about the Dragon-Boy staying at the hospital, but had never seen him in person. She also knew how afraid he was.

"I'm happy you're awake." The nurse said in the sweetest voice she could muster up. Hiccup became tense when he sensed her fear. In his mind it was because she was on edge or planning to hurt him. In reality she was only scared she was going to do something wrong.

"My name is Joyce." The nurse introduced herself kindly. She slowly walked to the edge of the bed where Hiccup was now shivering in his skin. He curled in on himself and pressed his face against Agnar's chest once more. The man could sense his son was on high alert.

"I will be your nurse today. Your name is 'Hiccup Hofferson' correct?" Hiccup said nothing, but nodded his head without looking at the nurse. This meant he couldn't see her smiling warmly and sadly at him.

"Okay. How are you feeling after waking up? Any pain anywhere?" Hiccup said nothing, and Joyce looked at Agnar for support since he was the 17 year old's caregiver. Agnar nodded his head and rubbed Hiccup's good wing soothingly.

"Does anything hurt Hiccup?" Agnar asked gently. He knew the boy would be much more responsive to him because he was trustworthy with any information.

"M-My wing." Hiccup whispered. He noticed a hot pain in his ankle and a throbbing in his stitched torso, though they weren't nearly as bad as he'd become used to bruises and cuts over the years. The only thing he wasn't used to was the broken wing.

"A-and my ankle...but not as much..." Hiccup trailed off, never moving his head from his place against Agnar's shoulder. It was only now that the Hofferson man realized Hiccup was doing anything he could to hide his eyes. He should've known this immediately as any time Ingrid treated his wounds Hiccup did the same thing. He also sat in this same position with anyone he could trust when he was at the School. Agnar was too distracted in the moment to notice.

"Alright. Let's start with the wing. Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten Hiccup?" Joyce questioned the boy in a gentle tone. Hiccup again said nothing, but unfolded his arms just long enough to hold up seven fingers. Joyce nodded and wrote something on her chart.

"Okay. What about your ankle? And can you go ahead and rate any other pain you might have for me?" Hiccup nodded his head with time, holding up four fingers. When the nurse began writing again he folded his arms again and pressed against Agnar as hard as he could. It seemed he was treating the man as if he was a shelter. This made sense because when Hiccup was with Toothless the dragon was big enough to actually create a safe place around the boy with his wings. Agnar only had his arms and the boy wasn't used to that.

"Alright. That's all I need from you. Um Agnar? There is going to be a nurse in here to check Hiccup's blood pressure, and get a blood sample. You two going to be okay?"

Hiccup shivered the second this was mentioned. Agnar tightened his hold around the boy and nodded at Joyce with a smile. When the door was shut he looked down at Hiccup.

"You're going to have to let them help you Hiccup. This is how they do it. Without the blood sample they won't know what they need to. Can you comply with them if I stay right here?"

Hiccup shook his head immediately and growled. "M-My skin is hard to puncture. It's more rough as to keep me from getting hurt by other dragons. Th-the scientists always cut me to get what they needed. What if the nurse has to do so? I'm not doing that again."

Hiccup explained everything in a whisper. Agnar sighed and rubbed the boy's back soothingly. "They're not going to cut you Hiccup. No one is going to hurt you. This are not the scientists. They are nurses and doctors. They are not here to get your information. They are here to help people. To help _you._ "

Hiccup moved around so he was in a more comfortable position. Of course now his current position kept his arms completely hidden as if he was being defiant against the nurses and saying 'you're not getting anything from me'. This was understandable with a boy who had been through what he'd been through and Agnar was not angered at all.

The door opened and Hiccup immediately sensed two people without even having to look. He made a small roar that had a high pitch sound to it. The extra sound highly resembled that of a baby dragon calling for it's pack, but thanks to Hiccup being an adolescent was much deeper. The roar was one Agnar could pick out over all others. Hiccup had only said it in the dragon's tongue a very few times. He was calling out for his parents to protect him because he was feeling unsafe.

 **"Father!"** He was shouting. He was relying on his instincts and calling for his father to protect him. That's the main reason Agnar knew the father-son feeling he had was mutual, because Hiccup had _instinctively_ called out to him specifically when he was in a foreign situation. Now that Toothless was away, Agnar was his next best person.

Agnar-instinctively as well-held the boy in his arms even tighter. He brought his legs up to the bed and tried to cover Hiccup with his whole form. He was willing to do anything he could to make his son feel safer. Thankfully the full-body contact soothed Hiccup because he-for reasons unknown-was very attached to the sensation of leather. This was most likely do to the leather-like texture of Toothless' wings. Agnar's entire police uniform was made of leather and small metal pieces. It was also pure black from head to toe. In a way he actually resembled a Night Fury himself, and Hiccup enjoyed this. It made him feel more safe.

"Can you lend me your arm?" A male nurse who's name tag read 'Simon' on it requested to Hiccup. He held the blood pressure cuff in his arms. When the Simon got closer Hiccup's heart rate went up in fear. This showed on the heart-monitor screen and both nurses became uneasy.

"Can you try to keep him calm sir? The patient cannot become too stressed. His body is too weak right now." This female nurse-Delia as her name tag read-was much more direct than the previous one. This made Hiccup more uneasy after he'd just calmed down. She stood behind a rolling desk with numerous papers and medical supplies on it. A part of Agnar begged the Gods not to let Hiccup look up and in that direction.

"Delia, he's afraid." Simon said to the other nurse with a stern expression. Why as he wore a coat she only wore scrubs and looked much less professional with her body language. She almost resembled a popular college girl. Must've been a newbie assistant.

"I'm being forward sir. The boy is 17 years old and I'm looking out for him. He will understand I'm sure." Agnar's eyes narrowed at the rather aggressive tone in the nurses voice. He looked towards Simon who seemed much more kind than his assistant.

Simon sighed and shook his head. He put down the cuff and reached out to touch Hiccup's arm with his gloved hand. The boy reacted instantly and jumped back, only hurting his wing further. Agnar wrapped both his arms and legs around him, holding Hiccup entirely still from his front and pinning his arms to his sides. Hiccup growled and as a reflex bared his sharper layer of teeth. In a swift movement said teeth dug into Agnar's suit. Luckily enough the man's uniform was thick enough to shield his skin.

 **"I'm sorry! I don't know what to do!"** Hiccup roared out with his fangs still in Agnar's armor. The father could not understand him but _could_ sense his fear. He sighed and moved on hand up and down Hiccup's back who flinched at first but then relaxed. This processed continued until the boy was so calm he was nearly purring.

Agnar looked at the nurse who nodded in understanding. Simon reached out to touch Hiccup's arm again with a gloved hand, making the boy tense immediately and heart rate climb. The nurse did not pull away this time as Hiccup shrieked and fought. Instead he rubbed his hand in small circled against the boy's arm. Slowly but surely Hiccup became used to the touch and allowed himself to hold still temporarily, now only softly growling with his teeth once again in the leather of Agnar's shoulder pad.

With hesitant movements Simon managed to check Hiccup's blood pressure. The boy's heart rate had finally steadied and he released Agnar's shoulder. His four main fangs still stood out, but the rest of his teeth were normal. He was about to look at Delia and her desk, but thankfully Agnar managed to direct his attention in time.

Agnar held Hiccup close and the boy once again hid his eyes against the man's chest. He also seemed to attempt to keep his legs-particularly the bare left one which lacked a prosthetic-hid under him as best he could. Agnar could only guess this had to do with the School's influence on the boy.

"Alright. Can you do me a favor and hold your arm out for me?" Delia asked. Her voice was sweet but sounded way too eager. In reality this was because she wanted to get this over with because her shift was over. Hiccup of course took the eagerness as a threat. He hid his arms again and mumbled something aggressive in the dragon's tongue.

The darkness in his words shown through even if the humans in the room could not understand them. They all tensed when they heard just how deep and guttural the roars were. Agnar had never heard Hiccup speak in such a tone. The boy's words were quiet which-despite making them sound even more eerie-were a good sign. Hiccup wasn't ready to hurt anyone or even react. He was just giving off instinctive warnings.

"This won't hurt Hiccup." Delia finally began speaking more slowly and calmly. It was as if she'd just realized that speeding through this would only make her job stretch longer. Hiccup calmed his growled when he sensed her change in mood. He cocked his head to the side and concentrated solely on Delia's heart rate, emotions, and breathing speed. He was so focused he could even sense if she was sweating or not by the smell.

Despite how afraid he was of the approaching nurse who held a blue bad in her hand, Hiccup didn't move because he could sense her genuine concern, again something he was none too used to. He pressed further against Agnar's torso the closer she got. Eventually he felt cornered and refused to look at the woman now standing right next to him. Everything was happening to fast.

Delia gave Agnar _that_ look. The look that a nurse gave parents when a little kid was about to get a needle in the arm. The look that meant it was time for the parents to do their job and keep the child still. _That_ look which said they were going to hurt the kid, but in the end this was what needed to be done and would only be short lived.

Agnar had received this look many times when Astrid was around five and six years old, when she went through the phase where she was always climbing on stuff and winding up in the hospital. Of course around age nine Astrid grew out of her fear of needles. Hiccup on the other hand was terrified of just the thought in general. He wasn't scared of the needle, but of the person _using_ the needle on _him._

Hiccup began growling when Delia wrapped the band around his arm. He refused to flex and release his arm when she instructed him to in order to make his veins show. He hid his face against Agnar, his wings folded despite the searing pain in his broken one.

Then the nurse put on her gloves and swapped Hiccup's hands. This set something off deep within his brain and almost instinctively the boy surprised everyone when he yanked himself away from Agnar. This lead to him shrieking in pain as his wing hit the back of the bed. Two of his stitched wounds opened a little and bled. This put both medical professionals on alert. Simon tried to reach for Hiccup, but Agnar beat him to it. He knew the boy would hate him for this, but he had to do it in order to prevent Hiccup from hurting himself further.

Just as two doctors burst through the door in fear that something terribly wrong was going on (which there was), Agnar reached behind Hiccup and grabbed that loose patch of scaly skin just below his neck. Hiccup roared loudly when his scruff was grabbed, just like he'd done when Toothless had grabbed him numerous times. His whole body went limp for a split second after something seemed to strike his brain and spine as a reflex of being grabbed by the scruff. It was similar to the way mother dragons would grab their hatchling by the scruff to carry them around, or the way kittens would relax when their parents grabbed them the same way.

As soon as he knew Hiccup was safe in his arms Agnar let go of Hiccup's scruff. He felt awful. The sight of Hiccup becoming so vulnerable in one of his most fearful time at Agnar's own hands made the father feel horrible. He knew deep down that he had done what he had done to prevent Hiccup from possibly killing himself, but there was still that lingering fear that the boy wouldn't trust him anymore.

Agnar's fears were sort-of proven false when-despite his confusion and slight anger-Hiccup roared for him the same way as before. He called out for his father numerous times, his roars eventually dying down into quiet murmurs. The boy was exhausted and tried to fight it.

Delia, Simon, and the other two doctors in the room sighed in relief when Hiccup finally began going back to sleep in Agnar's arms. The pain medication going through his IV likely had something to do with the exaustion, but progress was progress. When Delia knew Hiccup was sound asleep, she carefully drew his blood with minor trouble getting to the veins. When she was done she looked at Agnar with a smile before laying her hand on Hiccup's hair.

"That wasn't so hard see? You're going to do just fine kiddo." Delia seemed to have a gentle side after all. Simon placed Hiccup's wing-bones back into place with Agnar doing everything in his power to keep the boy asleep. Finally his torso was stitched back up, but Hiccup didn't react at all in his sleep as if he felt nothing. Agnar came to realize that the boy really did feel no real pain because he was so used to being stitched up time and time before.

The Doctors, Simon, and Delia all left the room to allow Hiccup to sleep in peace. Agnar had another night shift tonight, but Ingrid would be coming in to watch over Hiccup only a few hours after her husband left. If they were lucky Hiccup would sleep through the mere hours he was alone, and if not the Doctors would most likely have to give him a medication to make him go back to sleep quickly before Ingrid came in. This would only be a last resort though because with Hiccup in his weak state it was dangerous to put him in a forced sleep.

Whatever the case may be, Ingrid, Agnar, the hospital, and Astrid all knew one thing was for sure. They would do anything to make sure Hiccup would be safe in the end. They owed it to him. To their hero. To Fury.


	26. Hospital part 2

**(A/N) Before I get on with the chapter, I would just like to thank Nightfury-of-Berk and CajunBear73 For being such active reviewers. Thank you guys so much for the continued support on such a rather odd story. You're amazing! Also just to let you know, I didn't originally plan to do this with the story but the chapter just wrote itself. In this chapter you will be seeing a character from the Maximum Ride book series, though don't worry if you haven't read the books you can still understand the story.**

Hiccup had woken up about an hour ago. Thank the Gods Ingrid was there standing by his side for support. She lay a hand on one of Hiccup's wings who had taken to hiding himself under the covers. He knew that he could be seen and the covers would not protect him, but the covering and inability to see everything while being hidden within a warm object helped ease his nerves. He had one of the stuffed 'baby' dragons between his teeth by the scruff, Ingrid having had the great idea of bringing it in.

Of course (as expected really) Hiccup became protective of 'his hatchling' the second he recognized the scent. It stayed under the blankets and _no one_ was allowed to touch it. He growled when gloved hands came close, but thankfully the dragon boy was so focused on making sure no one messed with 'his baby dragon' that he wasn't as afraid when gloved hands touched _him._

A nurse came into the room with a warm smile on her face. Her name was Angel. Unlike just about every other person there, Hiccup kind of liked her. She was gentle, hardly ever touched him as she was one of the nurses who handled most of the paper work, and she respected his fears and protective nature over the stuffed dragon held by the scruff by his own teeth.

"I'm going to need to take your blood pressure." Angel warned Hiccup with a gentle tone to her voice. Hiccup-being as jittery and fearful as he was-growled at her. After having been around the dragon boy as much as she had been in the past three days he'd been there, Angel was not afraid. She knew Hiccup was only setting boundaries.

"I know. What you got there under the blanket?" Angel asked referring to the stuffed dragon. Hiccup growled again in warning, the nurse only nodding in understanding.

"Private information?" Angel questioned while she got the cuff out. She tapped on Hiccup's shoulder who hesitantly offered his arm to her. She was one of the very few people he trusted here in the hospital.

 **"Why are you so gentle?"** Hiccup questioned in the dragon's tongue. He was genuinely confused. No one had taken the time to realize he was very protective of his stuffed dragon. He related to it. In the lab he was given a label, a number, and was logged in books like the experiment he was. In his mind if he kept the baby a secret, no one would be able to know how special it was and therefor would be unable to use it against him.

"I don't know. It's my job." The nurse said subconsciously. Hiccup's eyes widened from under the blanket and he yanked his arm back. Angel immediately realized just what had happened and she stood back with a sorry look.

"I-I'm sorry Hiccup. I didn't mean to frighten you." Angel whispered. Ingrid was confused as to what was going on, though stood beside her adoptive son protectively.

 **"You just understood me."** Hiccup mumbled in the dragon's tongue, a growl to his tone. He was frightened, and Angel knew that.

"Yes...I did." Angel mumbled in equal confusion. She looked at Ingrid and figured she ought to explain herself. "I can understand what he's saying. I can understand the dragon's tongue. When I was little my father had a pet dragon. He abused it. I learned how to understand it's language. She was a Nadder names Precious. I was once kidnapped by a man who wouldn't give me his name. He had cages with animal-humans like your son. He tried to make me listen to him and talk to the dragons there to learn about them. Of course I refused. That's why I took to nursing. I wanted to help people who were afraid of doctors because they might've went through something I went through."

Hiccup made a confused warbling sound in his throat. He pulled the blanket off of his face, though his neck and arms were still covered. He gazed at Angel with curious eyes. He could tell she was hiding something judging by her heartbeat, breathing, and scent.

 **"You're hiding something."** Hiccup roared. Angel sighed and nodded, her long blonde hair bouncing with the motion. "Yes, I am. My father worked with the lab who kidnapped me after my mother died. I was actually born there before the woman who helped me escape took me in."

Hiccup nodded his head. **"Who was this woman?"** He asked now confused.

Angel sighed and looked at Ingrid. The Hofferson woman was confused, though had a basic idea about what was going on.

"Her name was Max. We don't really hang around each other anymore. We grew up in the same lab you did. We used to be a flock. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, my brother Gazzy and I were all a family. We separated overtime. Fang became a blogger. Iggy became a teacher for the blind. Nudge is still in college. My brother is a part of an athletic group who don't care to ask about his story. Max is a loner, living on her own and not caring for a job. I became a nurse...and I can read minds. That's why I'm capable of understanding dragons."

Hiccup and Ingrid's eyes both widened. Hiccup raised an eyebrow in confusion. "If you were born in the lab, that means you were an experiment. I noticed you called yourselves a flock. Are you dragon-humans too?"

Angel sighed and shook her head with a sweet smile. She was only about 22 years old but in that moment she seemed like a child again. Eyes full of wonder and creativity sparking beneath the surface. She raised the back of her shirt, making sure no one else would be entering the room before hand. After the back of her shirt was lifted, Hiccup and Ingrid saw two white bird-like wings folded against her back. They seemed about the size of Hiccup's dragon wings.

 **"Wow."** Hiccup roared in wonder. He looked up at Angel, now understanding why it was so easy to trust her.

She was just like him.

 **(A/N) I know the ending to the Maximum Ride books were very different to the lives Angel describes here, but this is an AU. There's really the same plot as Maximum ride while regarding the flock, but in this story about halfway through the books they grew older and separated. Max and Fang ever really got together either, but do have a sort-of romantic relationship when they meet occasionally because (and sorry to all of you who have different ships like Max X Dylan) no matter what has happened in the books, I personally am a hardcore Fang X Max shipper.**


	27. Bold

After _finally_ being allowed to leave the hospital, the first thing Hiccup did was go on a flight with Toothless where he met up with Aubrey and Halden. The triplets flew together in the night air, Aubrey's white wings standing out more than her brother's black wings. Halden-do to his deformities-had to take many breaks for his wings. Hiccup would carry him when he needed it.

Once Halden returned home to his adoptive parents and Aubrey to the creak, Hiccup flew in through the window that led to the Hoffersons home. He surprised Astrid by climbing onto the couch from behind, scaring the young woman and moving to the side just before he could be fear punched.

"Astrid it's Hiccup please don't kill me!" Hiccup shouted with a dragon-like shriek when Astrid subconsciously went for another hit. When she saw who was next to her she relaxed and sighed. Their parents were out at work. Toothless and Stormfly were on another search for Luna. The Hofferson kiddos-one of them being recently adopted-were alone to chat.

"Don't scare me like that!" Astrid shouted with a laugh in her town. Hiccup hopped back a few feat, crouching down and squatting with his hand claws digging into the cushions to keep him upright. This was the most comfortable position for the seventeen-nearing-eighteen year old boy to sit because of his wings.

Astrid smiled warmly and held out her hand. Hiccup relaxed and took her hand, moving one of his wings to wrap around her protectively. They relaxed against the couch, holding each other and watching the television while rain poured outside.

Suddenly, the sound of a dragon in distress sounded outside. Hiccup instinctively tried to leave, but Astrid wrapped her arms around him and forced him onto the couch in front of her so he was almost in her lap.

"No Hiccup! Hold up! You don't know what kind of dragon that is!" The dragon roared again, and this time it became obvious that it was a baby by the tone of his voice. The hatchling was nearly just outside the door and sounded as if it was in pain. Astrid wanted to help it just as much as Hiccup did, but she knew she had to protect her friend first.

Hiccup eventually calmed, his wings folding against his back. He allowed Astrid to help him get a shirt on over his wings and take hold of his wrist so he wasn't able to fly away instinctively. Her and Agnar were really the only humans he allowed to do this. Not even Angel was allowed to restrain him without facing injury.

Hiccup and Astrid walked outside hand in hand so the dragon-boy didn't take off. They both saw a baby dragon in the street, and from what Hiccup was hearing it seemed to have been abandoned by its mother. The boy walked forward, realizing the hatchling had been hit by a car. He scooped it up in his arms and carried it to Astrid who was heartbroken at the sight. The baby's left eye was completely white and blinded due to head trauma, his right wing had a long bleeding gash on it, and his entire head was bruised as if the impact of the car hadn't actually affected his skull as much, only the skin and muscle along the neck. His tail was severed, missing from the middle down.

"Astrid...we need to..." Hiccup trailed off with a shocked look in his eyes. Astrid nodded and lay a hand on his shoulder. "You bring him inside...I-I'll get some warm water and cloth. Maybe..." Astrid didn't continue, not wanting to put too much hope in the both of their hearts.

The baby dragon wasn't even squealing as Hiccup carried it into the foreign environment of the Hofferson household. Instead it only purred in an attempt to comfort itself. It was so tiny, no longer that Hiccup's forearm from his wrist to his elbow. Must've been the runt of a litter and no older than a few weeks old.

As Astrid started warming some water in a bucket Hiccup questioned the baby. He learned that its name was Bold, and that its mother and fellow litter mates were killed in the house fire that took their human owners who were drunk and unable to wake up.

 **"We're going to help you."** Hiccup roared gently to Bold. Of all the times Toothless was gone, this was one of the moments he wanted his Night Fury friend the most. His heart broke at the sight of the baby dragon in his arms. Upon closer examination Hiccup and Astrid learned the baby was a Tripple Strike, a slight rare species of dragon, though not as rare as the Night Fury. More around the lines of a Dramilion or Titan Speed Stinger.

Hiccup-despite how much it pained him-was the one who restrained and soothed Bold while Astrid cleaned the wounds. There were thankfully no breaks in the young dragon's neck, and the worst injury was the missing half of his tail. Hiccup used his firepower to seal the open wound on the baby's tail despite the pain it caused Bold so he would stop bleeding. His wing was stitched with some of Ingrid's medical supplies that Astrid had been taught to use.

Once he was treated Bold took to sleeping on Hiccup's chest. The baby clung to the dragon-boy with his claws subconsciously like most hatchling would do with their parents. His disfigured tail resting along the boy's now bare chest, and his head hung loosely along Hiccup's shoulder. Despite how angry he had previously been with the humans for causing him pain, Bold's instincts were to rely on an older willing dragon-usually his mother-to protect his vulnerable self. Hiccup was the closest willing match to take care of him despite being a mix between two different species-Night Fury and Human boy.

"It looks like Bold likes you." Astrid whispered with a smile. She gently pet the sleeping babies head who cooed in his unconscious state. She smiled before locking eyes with Hiccup and smiling warmly at him.

"You did good Hiccup. He would've died if we hadn't heard him. Thank you for helping me save him." Astrid tucked her hair behind her ear, and Hiccup could sense her nervousness. He tensed a little, on alert to protect himself if something bad happened next.

Suddenly, Astrid did the unexpected. She placed a gentle kiss on Hiccup's cheek, letting it linger for a second or two, before pulling back and crossing her arms shyly. "Th-That's for...everything else."

Hiccup was beyond confused. He'd never experienced the feeling he now had before. His cheeks turned warm and his wings spread in an almost defensive position. He felt the need to protect Astrid, and the same purr as before escaped him. He blushed deeper when he purred, feeling a little embarrassed. When Astrid simply smiled at the gesture, he stopped fighting his instinct and allowed her to listen to him purr for her.

She was the only one he'd ever have these odd, warm feelings for. Was this what Toothless had meant when he mentioned a mate for life?


	28. Tracked

Hiccup and Astrid both lay on the rug in the center of the living room. They'd been staying up nearly all night taking care of Bold. Finally Ingrid and Agnar returned home around the same time after going to eat together when their night shifts at their jobs ended.

Ingrid was the first to open the door. She smiled warmly when she saw Hiccup and Astrid sprawled on the floor. Hiccup's left wing was pinned beneath Astrid's weight who was laying on her side with one of her arms across his chest. They both lay on their sides facing each other, Hiccup's right leg and his friend's left leg intertwined with each others. Both of their bodies were lay around something between them, almost forming a makeshift nest. Hiccup's free wing was propped up against the couch, his form no longer tense like it usually was but rather relaxed and innocent looking.

"What is that between them?" Agnar was the first to ask. At first he thought the small thing to be one of Hiccup's stuffed dragons, then noticed the colors-yellow and black-matched none of the 'hatchlings'. He thought the baby looked like a deadly Nadder or Tripple Strike, though he believed it could not be the second guess because there were no separate ends to its small tail.

Agnar approached the two teens with cautious movements. His wife stayed back, knowing Hiccup didn't trust her nearly as much as he did her husband do to the career she worked. When Agnar kneeled next to the two kids, Hiccup sensed the the presence and woke immediately. His eyes were half lidded as he was still tired, though it was obvious he was on alert. His arms wrapped around the thing between their arms.

Bold bolted upright when he smelled another human in the room. He looked up at Agnar with a hiss, his rounded blue eyes looked up at the new guest in his 'nest' with curiosity and slight fear. He looked at Hiccup before standing and crawling up to the boy's chest, snuggling under his guardian's chin and purring.

 **"Who is that?"** Bolt asked Hiccup with slight fear in his voice. There was also some pain to his tone, which made sense considering his condition.

 **"That's Agnar. He's mine and Astrid's father."** Hiccup roared back to the baby in a gentle tone. He brought one of his rough hands to pet Bold's injured and bruised head softly. The baby moaned in delight before his purring grew louder. Within seconds (literally _seconds_ ) He was asleep again. It was obvious he believed Hiccup had everything under control and would protect himself and Astrid.

Agnar knew with no doubt in his mind the baby dragon was a Tripple Strike. He'd seen many in his life despite their slight rarity. Bold's tail was severed, which explained why he didn't have the _Tripple_ Strike's signature three tails.

"When did you find him?" Agnar asked Hiccup. He reached out a hand but Hiccup-being as tired as he was-flinched back. He was unable to tell himself that it was okay to let people touch him because of his exaustion. When he was this tired and Toothless wasn't around he relied on his instincts..the instincts he'd developed over years of torture.

"He's a Tripple Strike. His name is Bold." Hiccup began with a yawn mixed with a Night Fury's shriek, something he did when tired like any human would yawn. "We found him outside. Was hit by a car." The boy now found it harder to stay awake, though refused to sleep knowing he was in such a vulnerable position with the two adults in the room. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but years of abuse inflicted much anxiety on a dragon-boy.

Agnar nodded in understanding, now realizing why Bold was in the condition he was. The man kneeled next to his daughter, scooping her into his arms. Hiccup didn't move a muscle, though Bold hissed once again awake and afraid. It became more and more apparent that he had once been abused too, probably by his alcoholic owners who separated him from his mother at such a young age.

Once Astrid was lay safely in her room Agnar stepped back into the living room where Bold and Hiccup were laying. Ingrid had kneeled next to the Dragon-Boy, and appeared to be trying to sooth him. It seemed that within the few minutes that Agnar was gone, Hiccup had somehow become upset.

Agnar immediately dropped to his knees beside the now hissing boy. Ingrid did not say a word, though looked at her husband with a smile. Being the adoptive father of Hiccup really had an impact on him. The Hofferson father had wanted another kid to call his own for a while now, though Ingrid herself was unable to have children anymore. The main reason they connected with the boy so quickly was because no longer than a month before they actually met Hiccup they were talking about taking on a career as foster parents.

"What's going on Hiccup?" Agnar reached out to touch Hiccup's wing who sat upright. He caught Bold before the baby could fall, pulling the baby up to his chest by the scruff before petting Bold soothingly.

"I don't know why...but something's just not right." Hiccup mumbled. He seemed on high alert and was constantly hissing quietly for no reason. His Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat as he silently growled, an odd yet eerie gesture.

"What do you mean Hiccup?" Agnar and Ingrid both asked in sync, now on alert as well. Hiccup cocked his head to the side when he heard a light beeping noise, then he tried to find the source of the sound traced it to Bold's neck. With hesitant movements, he used one of his claws to reopen one of the scars on the Baby's neck. Bold-having tough skin of a dragon-didn't even flinch. What Hiccup removed from the baby was a beeping square-shaped shiny object.

"It's a tracker." Hiccup growled in a deep, almost nonchalant voice. He squished the object without a second though, burning it between his fingers and smashing it before smearing the ashes into the floor. He looked at Bold with a scowl, now knowing that the School was using such an innocent hatchling against him.

How did Hiccup know the tracker was from the school? It's how he'd gotten caught when he tried to escape the School as a preteen. The object would shock him in the neck, and every time there was a shock the scientists would be alerted of his location. He'd learned to hate anything electrical as this was a torment commonly used to make him behave. Lightning, jumper cables, Skrills...he was afraid of all of it. The unfortunate thing was no one would ever understand why.

"Who's tracking him?" Agnar asked, facial expression now stern. Ingrid stepped forward, hands held to her chest.

"You're telling me they planned the event that hurt Bold? Do you really believed they'd be using _hatchlings_ just to find you?" Hiccup sighed and shook his head. He stood, still holding the baby in his arms.

"You were at the School with me Ingrid. You and Agnar both. They don't care about fair game. Living creatures are just replaceable science experiments in their eyes. They don't even flinch when they know they are going to be doing something emotionally destructive."

Ingrid and Agnar both nodded in understanding, Ingrid cringing at the memories of Hiccup's screams while he was experimented on. She caught sight of the scars along his eyes and a wave of sadness hit her. Hiccup being Hiccup sensed it.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup questioned, worry now evident in his eyes. He was kind like that. It didn't matter how afraid or uncomfortable he was. The Hoffersons were kin, and he would never let them get by with being in any kind of pain he was capable of preventing.

"Nothing." Ingrid tried to insist. Hiccup gazed at her with a deep, worried, innocent look. The Hofferson woman sighed and shook her head.

"Just worried is all Hiccup. I don't know what I'd do if they got you again. You mean too much to us."

Agnar nodded at his wife's statement and stood tall in front of Hiccup. "You don't just mean that much to us Hiccup. You're our _son_ , both by law and by law. It doesn't matter how many people they have tracking you. We'll protect you. If you are okay with it, I can inform the chief tomorrow at the police station. I'm not saying anything without your consent though."

Hiccup groaned in annoyance. He hated having to make these decisions when he was already so afraid. With a sigh he nodded in agreement.

When would Toothless be home?


	29. Shared hatchling

Toothless still hadn't returned home and it was driving Hiccup crazy! Never in his life had he ever been separated from the Night Fury for so long. It'd already been a month and the boy was beginning to grow on edge. He and Astrid had continued taking care of one still recovering baby Tripple Strike as well, and the baby was started to annoy the heck out of the teen! Yeah Hiccup loved the hatchling like his own, but he was no where _near_ able to take care of children...dragon _or_ human.

Hiccup was beginning to grow worried for his Night Fury friend. Halden and Aubrey only barely managed to get him to go on a late night flight a few moons ago, but that was about all he did outside the house. He wasn't going to be afraid of saying it; Hiccup was afraid of the outside world when his dragon friend wasn't around. His brother-or father?-life was confusing like that. Hiccup's anxiety was over the roof and he jumped at every little sound. Agnar and Ingrid both came to the conclusion that the boy had separation anxiety when it came to the dragon. This made sense considering the fact that Hiccup had been torn away from so many people in his life.

The only reason Hiccup wasn't frightened when he was inside of the Hofferson home was because the house had become normal territory for him. He knew his way around, and Agnar, Ingrid, and Astrid were his kin. His family. They wouldn't hurt him...though that didn't mean he didn't still jump at sudden touches every now and again. It was habitual really.

Hiccup stood on the night stand in his bedroom with the claws on his right foot digging deeply into the wood to keep him upright. His wings were only partially spread so they formed triangles at both of his sides maybe two feet wide. His eyes were full of focus and his expression showed that he was alert. He was crouched but standing, hands holding a piece of leather that he clawed at. This helped him calm down.

Astrid was looking for Hiccup when she saw him in his room with the door open. She moved slowly and hesitantly as she entered the room and leaned against the door frame. Hiccup smiled when he saw her and his wings opened just a little more as if welcoming his friend with open arms. Astrid noticed the piece of leather in his hands and wondered if she should follow through with h er plan for fear that Hiccup might just tear the thing she wanted to give him.

"Hey Hiccup. Bold is sleeping. Dad will be home soon. Mom is working late again." Hiccup nodded but his smile faltered. He could sense it. Her emotions were off. She was nervous, hiding something. Something that in her hand behind her back from what he could see.

"What's that you're hiding?" Hiccup asked with curiosity and slight anxiety in his eyes. His body was tense and he seemed as if he was ready to jump and run at any given moment. Typically Hiccup.

Astrid smiled nervously. She looked at the piece of leather again. "I wanted to give you something...but I don't know if you want it right now. You seem on edge and...what if you accidentally tear it? With your claws I mean?"

Hiccup smiled brightly and jumped down from the nightstand at a speed so fast Astrid couldn't hardly see him move. He stood in front of her now, an almost silent purr in the back of his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed and vibrated with the action. One eyebrow was raised and his tight black jeans hardly revealed his prosthetic. If it wasn't for the wings he would almost look completely human.

Astrid smiled too. She moved her hand from behind her back. Hiccup reached out to take what she offered, but his hand stopped midway.

"It's okay. You can have it. I found it in one of my old boxes and thought you would want it." Astrid said quietly. In her hands was a pink and blue stuffed dragon, much different than the bluish green ones Hiccup had in his hiding spot. The boy shook his head.

"It's yours." Hiccup stated simply, stepping back a little and retreating his hand. When Astrid tried to reach out to him he jumped back on the nightstand and stood in his original half-crouching position. Astrid tried not to show it, but she was deeply confused.

"It was mine Hiccup, but I don't sleep with stuffed animals anymore. I wanted to give it you as a gift. You know, to add to your other four?" Hiccup shook his head and grit his teeth, his wings opening just a little more in the progress. He seemed nervous or upset. Confused really.

"No. That's yours. I have mine that Agnar gave me. That one is yours." Hiccup mumbled though found it hard to find words. An unsure and self conscious expression took over his features. He could sense Astrid's confusion but said nothing of it.

"It _was_ mine Hiccup. You can have this one." Astrid stepped forward and dropped the stuffed dragon on the nightstand at her friend's feet. She stepped back and watched as Hiccup became more confused. It was as if he was fighting a battle within his own brain.

"I-I can't Astrid. This one is yours." Hiccup was a little more forceful with his words which took Astrid by surprise. He dared not touch the stuffed animal at his feet.

 _It's just a stuffed animal._ Astrid thought confused. She couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then she remembered how attached Hiccup was to his other stuffed dragons.

 _No it's not. It's a stuffed dragon._ Her eyes caught sight of his wings and everything clicked. _A stuffed baby dragon._ My _stuffed baby dragon._ That was it. Hiccup knew that this was hers. Her scent, played a part in her background. She'd had it for years and he knew that. He was a male. He dared not take her hatchling from her.

"Okay." Astrid said with a smile. She walked closer and grabbed the dragon again, this time holding it by the scruff of the neck. She held it out, making it touch Hiccup's hand despite the few times he flinched away. At last he allowed her to set it on his palm, and the boy-as expected-immediately held the stuffed dragon tightly. Protectively.

"It is mine Hiccup. I want to share it with you. Like Bold." Hiccup cocked his head to the side in confusion before it clicked. A bright smile spread across his lips and his wings opened wider. Welcoming. Protective. Protective of _her._

Hiccup hopped down from the nightstand again and gave the stuffed animal back to Astrid. When he set it down in her palm he was holding it by the scruff, like a parent dragon would do. He smiled at Astrid and nodded his head.

"Where do you want to put it?" Astrid asked, already knowing the answer. Hiccup said nothing, but left the room and climbed up to his hiding place in the roof in one swift movement. Astrid smiled as she saw the four new holes in the wall her father would once again have to fill. She climbed the ladder that led up there, took a second to make sure Hiccup was okay with it, and climbed into the secluded hidden space. The floor of it was made from pieces of clawed up leather nailed into the wooden beams that made up the roof. Hiccup loved to climb around those beams when he was anxious, watching everything happen below so he felt less isolated.

"Where do I set it?" A small roar left Hiccup's mouth and he shrugged his shoulders. Astrid smiled and nodded knowing this was her decision. A feeling like butterflies in her stomach rushed through her when she realized this was _not_ something Hiccup would let just anyone do. She decided to place the stuffed dragon in the 'nest' with the others, pulling a piece of leather over them as if to cover them up. Hiccup looked pleased.

"Thanks Hiccup. This means a lot." Astrid said. She leaned forward and allowed Hiccup to wrap his arms and wings around her. They stayed like that in each other's embrace until Agnar came home declaring he had something to tell them.


	30. Found out

Hiccup sat to Agnar's right on the couch. Astrid was on her father's left. Bold was sleeping on the arm of the couch. Toothless was still not home. Agnar told Hiccup that he had informed the police station about the tracker inside of Bold's skin. He also informed Hiccup that the police station knew about the School.

Hiccup-do to old habits and instincts-was nervous when he heard the news. For a few days he was hiding out in the roof and watching everyone interact from below. This was common for him when he was afraid or overwhelmed. He wanted to be a part of the family but not be too close to other people physically.

The fact that Toothless wasn't home yet didn't make things any better.

Four nights after Agnar told Hiccup about the police knowing his situation the boy became far too nervous and decided to take a late night flight to blow off some steam. No one was getting into trouble and needed the help of 'Fury' so far so he was mostly just keeping to himself.

At one point Hiccup flew to a sandwich shop to grab a coffee (After drinking it with Agnar he'd pretty much became addicted to the stuff). He landed in the back and removed his mask. He flattened his wings so they were blending in with his suit and unstrapped the leather around his legs so it looked like he was simply wearing a protective black shirt and blue jeans (which were hidden beneath the leg straps). No one would even know his chest armor was bullet proof.

Carrying $27.96 in his pocket, Hiccup entered the dimly lit shop. He'd been saving up money he found when out and flying (such as old lost wallets and quarters he found on the ground) along with the $3.00 allowance Agnar rewarded him and Astrid every week if they did their chores (Hiccup was normally stuck with Dishes and keeping his room clean. Astrid tended to have Porch Clean-Up outside and the dining room. The two didn't _have_ to do these chores, but did them to earn an allowance. The chores were extras, the only things they _had_ to do were keeping up with their laundry and picking up after themselves which they did well. Hiccup also enjoyed getting rid of the cobwebs and occasional mice nests that came around in winter in the ceiling just to help out because he was up there all the time.)

Hiccup tried to hide how tense he was. Before he met the Hoffersons he would never do this, but even if he would never admit it he was nervous right now and wanted something warm. After a few deep breath he approached the counter, ordered a hot Almond Milk Latte' for $5.00, grabbed an apple from a fruit basket, and sat down at a small round table in the corner near a tinted window.

To Hiccup's right there sat a mother and her little girl. They were both eating bagels and wore torn, rugged clothes. He wondered why they were here so late as it was almost midnight. When he focused harder Hiccup could sense sadness in the little girl. The mother was thin and he could sense her silently wheezing. What had happened to them? What if they didn't have a home like he once did?

In the far left corner a man with a long auburn beard, black rimmed glasses, and black leather vest who stood at almost 7 feet tall drank a Latte' and alcohol bottle in the corner while using the shop's free WiFi to get on his laptop. The laptop was covered in pink glittery stickers and Hiccup wondered if he had a daughter who put them there. Judging by the man's exaustion which Hiccup-being part dragon-could easily sense and bruised face he wondered if there was some family issue going on.

Other than these three people the only people in the two-story shop (the top story was larger, had more tables, and was much more fancy so they could preform things like weddings and parties) were two custodians, one who seemed to only speak German, and the male Cashier Hiccup had ordered the Late' from.

After he was done drinking his Latte' and eating his apple Hiccup felt more relaxed. He stood up to leave after throwing his trash away when a small hand grasped his wrist tightly. Out of reflex Hiccup yelped and tore away. He thanked the Gods above (Astrid had taught him about them) that he didn't roar.

Once the initial fear and surprise wore off Hiccup looked behind him and saw none other than the little girl from before. Her bony wrist was held tightly by her mother who looked at him with fearful eyes. Hiccup could now see the girl had lint in her Auburn hair and she honestly looked like a girl version of himself when he was little.

Hiccup looked at the little girl with curiosity in his eyes. He could sense her emotions much better now. She was afraid and finding it hard to breath. She was also curious like he was and cold. He could sense her heart beating rapidly which was probably because he had frightened her when he tore away from her grip so suddenly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Hiccup said gently as he kneeled down. The man in the corner ignored him but the cashier seemed curious as to what was going on. The girl's mother was afraid-Hiccup could sense that-but he didn't know why. What was so weird about him talking to her daughter at a coffee shop?

Hiccup sensed a change in the little girl's emotions. She suddenly crossed her arms and smiled deviously. She reminded him of Astrid.

"I don't get scared." The little girl almost shouted with determination in her voice. Her mother smiled warmly though Hiccup could sense sadness. What had these two been through? The little girl couldn't be any older than 8 years old.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and smiled. He cocked his head to the side and had to suppress one of the curious, happy roars he tended to let out when he was in an unknown situation.

"What's your name?" Hiccup asked the girl. He thought nothing of the young mother-who honestly didn't seem to be more than 16 years older than her daughter-standing there and continued smiling. The little girl ignored everyone else around too and nodded her head which resulted in an auburn curl falling over her left eye.

"I'm Anna. This is my mom. People call her Brenda but I call her mom. Right mom?" Brenda now smiled warmly and nodded her head. Anna turned back to look at Hiccup.

"What's your name?" Somehow Hiccup didn't want to say his name. He almost said 'Fury' out of reflex but quickly remembered he wasn't wearing his mask. Instead he answered truthfully. "My name's Hiccup." He said simply. Deep down he wondered if Anna would find his name funny.

Sure enough, she did. "Hiccup? That's a funny name." Anna said with a giggle. Brenda swatted at her daughter's wrist with a scowl. "Now dear, that's not very nice to say." Hiccup raised his hand in protest shushing her.

"I'm fine with it ma'am. It's really a nickname I go by." Hiccup decided to say this instead of saying his brother named him in order to prevent questions from being asked. "I know it's a bit odd so I don't mind her putting it bluntly."

Brenda smiled once more. Hiccup was so distracted by her that he didn't notice Anna smiling mischievously. The little girl suddenly jumped at Hiccup with both of her arms wide open. "Hug!" She shouted and it became evident to Hiccup that she had a hard time controlling her impulses. As soon as she did this he could sense anxiety and wondered if she was somehow ill in her brain. Ingrid said that he had something called PTSD so he knew 'brain illnesses' or 'mental illness' was possible.

Even though he knew it was very unlikely Anna could ever hurt him, Hiccup still became scared. Without thinking he stood quickly with the little girl still attached to him with her arms wrapped around his neck. His wings tried to escape through his suit where the thin cuts for them were but got caught along the way. Everyone in the shop looked at him with surprise. They could see how his wings lifted his shirt with surprising force and could see the tips of them coming out through the slits in the sides of the suit.

"Hiccup..." Brenda breathed out. She reached for her daughter and pried her off of the young man. Hiccup grunted and shook his head in confusion. He didn't know what to do and without a second thought he fled the scene and flew away from the shop the moment Anna was safely in her mother's arms. He barely remembered the grab his helmet and leg armor along the way.


	31. Dragon Root

**(A/N) Oh my Thor I haven't updated this in _forever._ With that said, I hope you guys and gals like Hiccup-Whump! *smirks evilly* What? Modern AUs can have Dragon Root too! **

Hiccup didn't really know where he was flying after the incident at the cafe. He had his mask on and was flying as quickly as he could. He needed to release some steam. Astrid and her parents were the only ones who really knew who he was. He didn't want anyone else other than his triplets knowing he was a dragon human. One could never tell who would want to use him for power or experimentation. Growing up he never even knew there were _any_ humans who _didn't_ want to hurt him.

Suddenly a roar sounded in the distance. Hiccup knew that roar and panic ran through his thin form like a forest fire. Without a second though Hiccup turned midair and began flying to the source of the distress call. His wings ached from flying so fast after flying for so long that night. He didn't care.

 **"Toothless! I'm coming bud!"** Hiccup screeched with fear in his tone in the dragon's tongue. By the time he got to the source of the call the sight of his best bud made his heart freeze. He suddenly felt his skin crawl and his face lost all color.

"Toothless..." Hiccup trailed off. His dragon was trapped in ropes and bleeding heavily from his right win. A white dragon lay nearby unconscious and Stormfly was in a cage. The Nadder screeched and fell to her knees. She was hardly able to breath and was disoriented.

 **"My boy! Get out of here!"** Toothless screeched loudly. Before Hiccup could process the words he felt something sharp hit his right shoulder. Upon closer examination he saw a dart. Not just any dart...

A _Dragon Root_ dart. These things had been used _many_ times on him when he'd try to escape and _Thor_ were they painful.

The dart hardly pierced Hiccup's skin so he knew the affect of the refined Dragon Root would work its way slowly through his body when compared to the past immediate effects he'd been used to over the years. Scratch that... _no one_ could _ever_ get used to the affects of Dragon Root.

"Once a dragon human was shot the effects of the dart would mess with their senses. Hiccup's vision would multiply and it was like looking through a fly's eye. His skin would crawl and if any one ever touched him too lightly it stung, and if they touched him too quickly it would feel like he was being punched. His ears would ring causing an extreme headache and he could hardly move as his tongue dried and sense of smell became so heightened he just wanted to fall unconscious because of the numerous smells attacking him at once. On some occasions he would've rather _died_ than wait for the effects to wear off.

Hiccup knew one thing. He had to get to safety before he was so out of it his attempted-capture would have no problem chaining him up. As his head began so spin he relied on his instincts and allowed his wings to carry him where necessary. He took one glance back at Toothless before he was flying blindly...

 _Astrid's house._ Hiccup thought to himself suddenly. _They're the only ones I can trust with this. They wouldn't take advantage of me._ With a new found destination Hiccup allowed his instincts-the ones that told some dragons where their home was after a migration-to guide him to his...his _home._

* * *

Astrid was the only one home as her father was on night shift as usual and her mother was working over time at the hospital. Suddenly, she heard something large _slam_ into the back door. The Hofferson teen grabbed a nearby bat and straightening her posture. With hesitant steps and a scowl she hid behind the counter and waited for another sound.

Then she heard a screech. A terrified screech actually. And she knew _exactly_ who sounded like that when they were afraid.

"Hiccup!" Astrid dropped the bat and raced for the door. She opened it and saw Hiccup in terrible shape. He'd lost his mask somewhere and was sweating profusely. His eyes were glazed over and he had a purple bruise along his wrist, probably from running into stuff like her back door...

"Hiccup talk to me. Common, what's bothering you? Who did this to you?" Hiccup coughed and shrieked when the motion seemed to give him a severe headache. He closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears to stop the constant ringing in them.

"D-Dragon Root. Y-You kn-know-th-that is, right?" Hiccup stuttered in a hardly audible voice. Astrid nodded, not quite knowing what he was getting at. Stormfly had once been shot with the stuff by a man who had previously worked for animal control but was fired for misusing the darts. He had shot Astrid and the Nadder right out of the sky. They were very painful for dragons.

"Does it affect you like it does other dragons?" Hiccup nodded his head, the motion making his head hurt as he reflexively bared his sharper teeth, putting the 'normal' ones away. Astrid jumped back a bit. She wasn't used to Hiccup baring his teeth around her. They were much more sharp than human teeth. Sometimes he'd only bear the fangs but keep the others dull. Like a vampire from dramatic books like twilight.

Suddenly, Hiccup let out a sharp, high pitched roar. He tried to speak but it was obvious he was in another one of those moments when he could only roar.

"It's okay. Hey we should go to the basement. You're less likely to hurt yourself down there and there's the couch that we usually sit on while gaming. No one will hear you roaring too. Win-win.

Hiccup didn't have the energy to protest. His senses were getting worse and he knew before long he wouldn't even be able to recognize everything around him. He prayed Astrid would stay nearby so he knew she was there even if he couldn't hear, see, or smell her.

Thankfully that's just what Astrid did. She sat on the couch with her arms wrapped tightly around the dragon boy next to her. Hiccup closed his eyes and was grateful for the peace in quiet the basement provided. His body-mostly his head-ached and he didn't dare open his eyes because the little bits of light from the light-bulbs were like miniature suns that burned his already-sensitive eyes.

Eventually-after an hour or so-the Dragon Root began wearing off. Astrid tried to coax Hiccup into allowing his exaustion to take over but the boy fought his sleep. Once he regained his ability to speak he looked Astrid in the eyes with his own dull-forest-green ones.

"A-Astrid..." Hiccup hardly whispered. "They have Stormfly. They have _Toothless._ " He could say no more before he fell unconscious in the arms of a very worried, very confused Hofferson teen.


	32. Help!

**(A/N) The wait is over! Who is ready to see Agnar's reaction to The School on the loose and some more little bits of Hiccstrid? I know I am!**

No longer after he came to his senses was Hiccup panicking and all over the place. He told Astrid everything that had happened and what he'd seen. The dragon boy could not stop moving around despite his sore muscles and headache. He was used to pains which were far worse after all.

"Astrid we have to find them. But how?!" Hiccup asked loudly with a screech. They were still in the basement and the teen was currently perched on top of the back of the couch with his wings fluttering violently. As soon as Astrid reached out to touch him in a comforting manner he dodged her hands and went to cornering himself between two shelves, his claws leaving long white marks in the wood.

"I'll talk to my father about it the second he gets home Hiccup. Dad will know what to do." Astrid walked closer to Hiccup once more but the boy jumped away, grabbed the back of the couch, leaped off of it and glided to the other side of the basement where he stood crouched on metal pole in the ceiling looking down at her. Astrid was tall enough to touch his foot if she stood on her toes but was standing a few feet away.

"What if they hurt him? What if they _kill_ him Astrid? Do you even know how many dragons they've killed? They don't care if I'm attached to them or not." Hiccup growled as memories flooded his mind and it seemed as if every muscle in his body tensed.

Astrid sighed and walked closer to Hiccup despite knowing he was just going to run away again. The second she was under his feet he yelped in surprise and went back to his original spot on the back of the couch.

"No I don't Hiccup. I'd be lying if I said I _wanted_ to know because it would just make me that more angry with the school." Astrid spoke gently as she approached the couch. She walked on her toes and Hiccup's back was to her. Only once she was right behind him did he sense her and try to run. Astrid though was somehow fast and grabbed his ankle just as he glided above her. She pulled the dragon boy down to her and into her arms.

Hiccup shrieked in surprise and tears sprung to his eyes though did not fall. He tried to get away from Astrid, but realized he would not be able to without hurting her. Thing was he would _never_ hurt her. He loved her-though whatever type of love that might be he didn't know.

 **"Let go of me."** Hiccup growled in the dragon's tongue with a dark tone. Astrid knew the only reason he was this off was because someone had taken Toothless from him again. She was not afraid because she knew his instincts wouldn't allow him to hurt her.

"Just calm down Hiccup. We'll fine him." Hiccup's wings fluttered violently again as if he was angry. When they dropped to his sides in the same motion they did when he was sad or confused Astrid felt the same. All she wanted to do was help him.

They stood like that for a while. Hiccup hiding his tears and allowing Astrid to hold him though he did not hug back. His fangs were bared though his other teeth were flat. He didn't retract those and switch them out for his sharper ones unless he was really angry. When he was just upset like he was now he only switched his front canines with the sharper dragon-like ones.

Hiccup was the first to hear someone open the front door because of his exceptional hearing. Ingrid was still on her night shifts though Agnar was always home around this time in the morning. It was almost eight in the morning. Hiccup and Astrid only just now realized they'd been up all night, Hiccup suffering the effects of refined dragon root and Astrid trying to keep him still so he didn't tear his wings with his own claws or bite himself with his own fangs in his confused state. The first half of that few hours-when Hiccup was taking the effects head on before they started wearing off-he didn't even recognize Astrid once they were in the basement and almost shot _her_ numerous times.

"Dad! Down here!" Agnar paused for a moment and even from this distance Hiccup could sense his confusion. It was obvious he thought his children were asleep since Astrid didn't have school, though Hiccup _did_ wait for him from his hiding place most nights after flying or meeting up with Aubrey and Halden. The dragon boy really never seemed to sleep, though it was likely when he was hiding in the roof in the afternoons he was getting some rest in.

"What is it you two?" Agnar asked as he immediately headed down the basement stairs. He hung his coat up on the doorknob along the way knowing there were many hooks it could get caught on if he wasn't careful down here.

"Hiccup was shot with a dragon root dart. It had the same effect on him as it once did on Stormfly. He's fine now but..." Astrid trailed off as Agnar got closer. Hiccup-in his tense state-tried even harder to get away from Astrid's hold when another person approached. Thanks to the Hofferson girl being distracted, the boy succeeded in his attempts and stood on the washing machine before crouching down and gripping the front of it with his claws and right foot.

"Hiccup..." Agnar was at a loss of words. He hadn't seen Hiccup this skittish and self-protective since the day they'd met.

"Toothless and Stormfly were captured! I was going to save them but I got shot." Hiccup shouted in honest impulse. His skin was covered in goose bumps and his scarred eyes wide. It was obvious he was something beyond afraid.

Agnar's eyes widened and his face turned stern. "Where did you see them last? Do you know who took them?" Hiccup's wings fluttered angrily again though he seemed confused.

"Getting shot by dragon root really messes you up. I lost almost all sense of direction the second the dart hit me. I don't remember where I was and it was sheer instinct that brought me home." There was a growl to his tone, one that Agnar and Astrid both rarely heard. Hiccup was angry. _Really_ angry.

Agnar tried to approach Hiccup in the same fashion his own daughter had before he'd gotten home. Hiccup tried to flee but his adoptive father grabbed him quicker. The boy shouted in the dragon's tongue, his voice taking on a similar tone to a baby dragon's when it called for it's parents, but much deeper. Agnar knew exactly what this call meant, and knew it was rare he would hear it.

 **"Dad!"** Never in his life had Hiccup called Agnar 'Dad' or 'Father' to his face, though the instincts he had still being an adolescent part-dragon and not yet an adult remained. He only ever used that same roar with Toothless, though the Night Fury was there before Hiccup ever needed to call him.

The Night Fury was like a dragon-father-figure to the boy, though most of the time they acted like brother, Toothless being the oldest of course. This made sense because they technically had the same DNA, Hiccup's dragon side being forced to morph with his growing figure within his mother's womb being parts of Toothless such as blood and scales. The rest was mesh and very odd equipment doctors and scientists outside of the School would never see nor know how they were used. The way he managed to create Plasma Blasts using his own two hands no one could explain. The scientists had only purposefully given him extreme hearing, sight, his wings, roar, and claws.

"I'm here Hiccup." Agnar said to the boy in his arms in the most gentle tone he could muster. This seemed to ease Hiccup's nerves a little and he buried his head in the man's shoulder, hiding his eyes and trying to fold his wings and arms so his body was shielded by that of his adoptive father's. He'd do this in a similar fashion with Toothless, though the Night Fury of course had wings to fully cover him. Hiccup acted like a little kid at times in this way, something that tended to happen with teens who were traumatized and uneducated at a young age.

Astrid watched the interaction with a calm smile, though on the inside was panicky because she was so worried about Stormfly. The main reason she was being so composed was because she knew Hiccup could sense stress.

"What are we going to do Dad?" Astrid asked with hope in her eyes. Agnar looked over Hiccup's shoulder, still holding the boy who almost silently purred as if to comfort himself.

"I'm first going to notify Dragon Rescue and tell them if they see Toothless or Stormfly to call us immediately. I'm also going to contact the police apartment and let them know the people who kidnapped us from the School are nearby. They'll likely put up a search warrant and have tracker dragons looking because any suspects who are at risk of abducting people needs to be caught immediately. I'll ask my closest friends on the force to keep their eyes open near here in case someone tries to take Hiccup again. As soon as they see any of us missing they'll try to find us because we've been abducted before."

Of course Hiccup did not like the idea of so many people knowing where and _who_ he was. With that said, he felt safer being protected and most importantly felt more comfortable knowing someone was going to be looking for his best bud/brother/dragon-father and his friend Stormfly. He could also sense how afraid Astrid was for Stormfly and himself and hated seeing her upset.

"Go and call them Dad. I'll stay here with Hiccup. I...want to talk to him." Agnar smiled at his daughter and nodded his head sympathetically. After he'd went upstairs and closed the door, Hiccup looked at Astrid with a confused expression.

"What do you want to talk about?" Hiccup asked. The confusion in his tone made her feel a little better because he was more collected, though she could still see the obvious fear and sadness in her best friend's eyes. They both had no idea what was happening to Toothless and Stormfly at the moment.

Suddenly, Bold clawed the door open and glided downstairs. The little dragon was healing well and had taken to sleeping in the leather nest made for Hiccup's five stuffed dragons up in the roof. He hardly ever showed himself, though clung to Hiccup at night. It was obvious the baby was afraid of the outside world.

 **"Hey little guy. You're up early."** Hiccup cooed to the baby Tripple Strike who clung to his bear chest, Bold's claws leaving red marks on his skin though no puncture marks because of the thickness of Hiccup's dragon like epidermis. Another odd yet useful trait The School experimented on often when he was with them.

Bold said nothing in return, though looked up at Hiccup with sad eyes. The Dragon Boy wondered if the Tripple Strike knew that Toothless was in danger.

Astrid watched her friend holding Bold and decided to join in. She placed one hand on Hiccup's shoulder, the other over Bold's back. The baby hissed at her in surprise, though went back to sleep against Hiccup's chest once he knew no danger was near.

"I know you're afraid too Astrid." Hiccup said out of nowhere. The Hofferson girl blushed and nodded her head, hiding her face with her bangs. She hated that Hiccup knew when she was feeling weakly, but kind of loved it at the same time.

"Of course I am. Stormfly means the world to me and I hate seeing you so upset too." Hiccup nodded and made a soft humming sound Astrid had never heard before. She wondered what that particular group of syllables meant in the Dragon's Tongue though decided against asking. She'd feed her curiosity later.

 **"I care about you too."** Hiccup was saying to the girl next to him. He hated to see her upset just as much as she hated to see him afraid. He didn't know why, but he felt a desire to protect her. To share his possessions with her and his home. His hiding place. Even Bold. His adoptive dragon. (Yes just like Dogs and Cats Berkians often adopted their dragons from sanctuaries and rescues or found them and created adoption papers. This was done with Bold so no one else could try and claim him, like for example The School or other organizations)

Hiccup could hear Agnar upstairs making calls but decided to say nothing of it. He lifted his head and handed Bold to Astrid who looked at him with a confused gaze.

"I'm going to find Aubrey." Hiccup stated with a fake smile to calm his friend. "She can let Halden know what's going on. If The School is after our dragons, that likely means they're after us 'Experiments' too."

Astrid nodded in understanding and before another word could be said kissed Hiccup's cheek gently. When she pulled away she refused to face him.

"That's for good luck. You'd better come home safely ya big goof." Astrid said in a stern tone. Hiccup smiled warmly and nodded his head. As he head out the back door once he'd let Agnar know he was heading to the creak...

 **"You know I can sense you blushing. Ingrid said that meant someone was embarrassed. Are you embarrassed about kissing me?"**

The dragon boy roared to himself in confusion and whatever happiness he could muster-which wasn't much because he was so afraid.


	33. You need to stay safe

**(A/N) Sorry for a shorter chapter again. Hey while writing this chapter I got inspiration from the song 'Be somebody by Thousand Foot Krutch'. You should check it out something, it really is beautiful and highly reminds me of Hiccup and Toothless. Also! We get a little more triplet bonding in this one and some minor Hiccstrid as the plot thickens. Hope you guys and gals enjoy!**

 **"Aubrey?! Hey come out here sis! It's just me!"** Hiccup roared out into the creek. He had to be careful to hide himself since it was daylight outside, and once he was down in the creak he folded his wings inward and began walking.

 **"How did you recover from that Dragon Root so fast?"** Hiccup yelped in surprise when a voice came from right behind him. He fell backwards into the water on the floor of the creak and looked upwards with an annoyed expression and his bangs in his face.

 **"Don't scare me like that."** Hiccup growled. Aubrey folded her arms in an uninterested manner. She stood on a rock above her brother with a serious look in her eyes. She was once again shirtless as that seemed to make her the most comfortable with her large white wings constantly needing to stress. This time she wore a sport's bra Astrid had let her borrow and a pare of jean shorts. Hiccup had no idea where she found those but she looked a little more human with her hair up and brushed, braided behind her shoulder and her face lacking any kind of mud or dirt.

 **"Well, someone's finally learning what self hygiene is."** Hiccup began sarcastically as he pushed himself up with his wings. He crouched down in the water, focusing on the tadpoles there. Aubrey rolled her eyes and hopped into the dirty water with him, watching the sun bounce off of the smooth rocks beneath them.

 **"How did you know I was darted?"** Hiccup didn't sound very surprised, just confused.

Aubrey blew her bangs away from her face and shook her head. **"I heard you last night."** She grumbled. **"No dragon sounds like...** ** _that_** **if they haven't been darted."** She sounded sad and Hiccup noticed.

"Hey." Hiccup now began speaking in the human's tongue in an attempt to bring out the human side of Aubrey, knowing she had a hard time trusting anyone who wasn't an animal or experiment. "I didn't know you care."

For the first time in Thor knew how long Hiccup actually saw Aubrey show the slightest hint of a smile. He sighed when he knew what he had to say next.

"I need you to stay somewhere safer. Either with Halden or me."

Aubrey raised a confused eyebrow. "Why?" Hiccup smiled when he heard her speak in the human's tongue for once.

"The School are looking for us. Th-they took Toothless. They...they took Stormfly too. They're the ones who...'darted' me."

Aubrey looked sadly at her brother, her wings drooping in an emotion of nervousness and sorrow. She wrapped her wings and arms around him, her triplet doing the same with a deep sigh. They stood there, black and white wings contrasting against each other and shining with the glittery gleam of the sunlight that could get through the trees above bouncing off of the water.

Aubrey and Hiccup both shivered in sync when a chilly wind blew over them.

"I'm going to go warn Halden. I'll be back here by tonight and tell you if I see anything." Aubrey was about to take off, but Hiccup caught her arm and gazed at her with fearful eyes.

 **"What if they catch you again?"** He nearly shrieked in the Dragon's tongue. Aubrey simply looked at him warmly which was pretty rare for her.

 **"I survived on my own before didn't I?"** Hiccup sighed with a nod of his head. His wings drooped and he crossed his wings over his chest almost self-consciously.

 **"I just...I don't want to lose you again. Especially with Toothless missing. Thor knows what they might be doing to him. I think I know how you felt losing Luna now."**

Aubrey sighed and shook her head sadly. She purred reassuringly to her brother, saying nothing, before taking off. Since her wings and skin were a paler white than that of her triplet's tanned skin and black wings she was less easy to see in the clouds above during the day. Hiccup didn't know how she managed to get so far without being seen, and figured she must've known tricks he didn't just like it was the other way around.

With a deep breath Hiccup released it shakily and went back inside. He spotted Astrid working on a paper regarding what classes she wanted to do after the summer was over. When she looked up at him he smiled shakily and nodded simply before sitting beside her.

Astrid reached over and touched Hiccup's wrist, never taking her eyes off of the paper. Hiccup felt something flutter in his chest and cocked his head to the side.

He tried to suppress it, really he did, but without warning that same purr he sometimes let loose like some big cat escaped his chest and Astrid smirked at him knowingly. No matter how hard he tried to stop Hiccup couldn't and he honestly knew he didn't need to because Astrid seemed to like hearing him purr. It comforted her.

And she comforted him in the times he needed it the most.


	34. I want him back

**(A/N) Oh my gosh! I am so sorry for super late updates on pretty much every story I write guys and gals! May I just say I am living with my grandmother now and my sister. Now that summer is over I'm no longer in classes. You know what that means?**

 **New Dragon Boy updates every 1-2 days again! Hope you enjoy that idea!**

Hiccup tossed and turned in his bed. It was raining outside and he was cold. His left wing ached after he'd hit a tree flying in search of Toothless. He had a splitting headache for unknown reasons but didn't tell the Hoffersons.

Originally Hiccup had been flying every night from sunset to sunrise in search of his dragon every day for seven days strait this week. He'd only slept two hours a day, the other few hours before sunset being spent talking to Aubrey and Halden and trying to resist Agnar and Ingrid who tried to calm him.

The only reason Hiccup had taken time tonight to rest and regain his strength was because of something Agnar had told him two days ago.

"If you don't rest your wings Hiccup you won't have the energy to go look for Toothless when it's most productive to do so. Ingrid, Astrid, and I would be very upset if you didn't come back. We're already missing Stormfly and we don't want to lose you too. Are you willing to make us feel the same way you do about Toothless right now?"

Naturally Hiccup had decided against causing any more stress or fear for the Hoffersons. Not only had they done so much for him but they were also his family. Honestly speaking he still didn't quiet understand exactly what a family was despite having been with the Hoffersons for nine months now. He was kind of afraid after he turned eighteen in a couple of months he would not be welcomed any more because he would be an adult and adults usually left the nest and went to make their own clan. For right now he could not worry about such things. He had to worry about Toothless, but at the same time, he was instinctively protective and if Agnar told him being reckless hurt the Hoffersons he refused to continue his actions.

The shivering stopped and Hiccup knew that his body had given up on trying to produce body heat. He wrapped his wings around himself tighter. He'd ditched his blankets already, knowing that with how little body heat he was producing the covers would make no difference.

Normally Hiccup's fire power would keep him warm like any human's normal body, but with how much energy he was wasting his heating system and immunity was weakening greatly by the half hour.

 **"Toothless..."** Hiccup growled in the Dragon's Tongue. He wanted his dragon to keep him warm. He wanted Toothless. The room seemed to turn a grey and green color. Hiccup could feel his fingers grow icy and he couldn't move his legs.

Knowing he needed help, Hiccup screeched in that way a baby dragon did. He wanted Toothless to respond to his cry for a mother or father. He wanted his dragon to come and help him when he was in trouble...

* * *

Agnar had pulled up home from work twenty minutes ago and changed out of his uniform. Ingrid was home as well because she didn't work night shifts on Wednesdays. The hospital mostly needed her on Weekends.

"How's he been doing?" Agnar asked his wife in a whisper. Astrid was still asleep and her parents were both sitting at the table drinking coffee. Hiccup was most likely just resting. Astrid still didn't have to get up for school for another two hours, though her high school had been excusing her being late on rare occasion because they had been told Astrid's dragon had been stolen and her brother was being threatened by someone from the outside and it caused her anxiety. This wasn't a lie.

"I went in there an hour ago and he was cold. I asked him if he wanted something like a heating blanket to keep him warm but he refused. I know he's having a hard time trusting people while Toothless is gone, and despite how much he loves me I know he would never turn to a _nurse_ for help if he didn't absolutely have to. After being trapped in the school with him...I now truly understand why."

Agnar nodded his head with a deep sigh. He knew it was raining and there was a possibility of the power going out since there was a severe thunder storm watch. A cold front was coming too. In Berk those tended to happen together in the winter just as much as in the spring.

"I should probably go check on him. He can't stay cold for too long when he's tired like th-"

 _ **Raerchhhh!**_

Agnar was cut off when him and his wife suddenly jumped in their seats at the sound of a call. Not just any call. An adolescent dragon's distress call. _Hiccup's_ call for one of his parents.

Without thinking twice Agnar was away from the table and running towards Hiccup's bedroom next to the stairs. Astrid's room and a free supplies room were upstairs. Ingrid and Agnar's was under the stairs down hall from the kitchen.

"Hiccup?" Agnar tried to hide the panic in his voice once he had the door open. His jacket was around his shoulders because he knew Hiccup liked the feeling of the leather. He also grabbed the heated blanket from the middle drawer of the night stand.

Hiccup only groaned in response to his name being called. He brought his pale hand up to his head in an attempt to sooth the ache there. His sharper teeth were bared and his eyes were closed. He wasn't sweating but his skin still looked so pale it seemed slick as if it was glowing in the bedroom lighting.

"Easy my boy. Let me help you. It's just me, Agnar."

Agnar made sure to let Hiccup know who was there. It was obvious the Dragon Boy was a little disoriented because of his headache. Most would think because Hiccup wasn't shivering he wasn't too cold. Agnar though knew that was a bad sign. The boy was already in a dangerous state, his body giving up on him and refusing to make any attempt to produce more body heat because it was just far too tired. There was no glow in his arms that tended to show when Hiccup was producing heat for himself with his flame. He was simply exhausted.

Agnar plugged the heated blanket in and pulled it around himself. He grabbed Hiccup and pulled the boy into his arms. Hiccup cried out and tried to fight against the help. It was obvious Agnar was not who he wanted. Hiccup loved Agnar, but he was wanting Toothless. He needed his dragon. The Night Fury not being there was causing such anxiety for the boy it was slowly hurting him mentally. It was as if someone with severe PTSD had lost their safety net. The one thing that would keep them in the present during an episode. For some it was a service animal like a dog, horse, or dragon. For others it was something a distant relative had given them.

For Hiccup, his safety net was Toothless, and the dragon had quite literally been ripped away from him.

"Hiccup you need to let me help you. Who's going to go save Toothless and Stormfly if you're no longer here because you caught hypothermia?"

These words seemed to make Hiccup think for a second. Now that he was sitting up and pressure was off of his swollen wing it began stinging much more than before. Combined with the exaustion and the headache he felt as if he couldn't fight his inner feelings much more.

"I-I want him back Agnar. I want Toothless to be here. To be _safe._ I-I n-need to protect him, j-just like h-he protects m-me." Hiccup stuttered in his exaustion, his voice cracking and tears welling in his eyes though he dared not let them fall. He pressed his body closer to Agnar's and allowed the man to wrap the heated blanket around the both of them. The extra heat was already feeling good and Hiccup could slowly feel himself drawing more and more heat for himself now that his body was working with him again.

"I know Hiccup. I can't imagine what you are feeling right now, but know we're here for you. We want Toothless and Stormfly back too. We miss them dearly. Bold does too." Agnar chuckled a little though it was obviously fake. "The little guy's been sleeping surrounded by those stuffed dragons of yours and covering himself in some excess scales up there. It's obvious he loves you dearly. You need to rest so you can help him too."

Hiccup nodded his head and gripped Agnar's leather-covered chest with his hands tightly. He closed his eyes and took in more and more warmth. The process of working so hard to not just give in to the cold and fall unconscious was slowly making him more and more tired.

"I know he misses Toothless. He usually sleeps between him and Stormfly at night if he's not with me. I-I just wish he didn't have to worry about Toothless too. They had no right to take him."

Agnar nodded his head slowly and began slowly smoothing out Hiccup's hair. This seemed to calm the boy further and his body began relaxing a great deal.

"You can sleep my boy. I'll make sure you keep warm." Hiccup nodded his head and a light, sweet growl escaped his chest. He curled up against his adoptive father and sighed deeply. He said one more thing before falling into a deep sleep that he would remain in for longer than he had all week.

"I know you will Dad."

Agnar knew it was probably just the exaustion talking and Hiccup didn't mean to say it in Nordic, but nonetheless, he smiled warmly down at the Dragon Boy in his arms.

His _son._


	35. So cold

He wasn't nearly as cold as he once was. It was still raining outside and there was some hail. Hiccup was disappointed because despite how determined he was to go find his dragon he knew it would be foolish to fly out in this storm with his injured wing.

Agnar was still holding him when he woke up. The first thing Hiccup sensed was the man's quickening heartbeat and sweat. He also noticed a tension in Agnar's muscles. The man was afraid, but why?

"Agnar..." Hiccup trailed off when he first tried to speak. He noticed how tired he still was despite having slept for a few hours. Astrid would be at School, he knew that, and Ingrid was supposed to be at work, but for some reason Hiccup heard her working in the living room anyways. He heard her mumbling to herself with his increased senses. She was frustrated.

 _Why is it so hard to speak?_

Hiccup thought to himself, deep confusion making his eyebrows knit together. Then he noticed something else. Despite how much Agnar was keeping him warm, he still wasn't shivering despite how cold he felt.

"I'm here Hiccup. You're going to be okay." Agnar said in a quiet tone to the boy in his arms. Hiccup could easily sense how tired the man was and tried to push out of his arms. He noticed despite how cold he was the heated blanket wasn't around him. What was going on?

"You're tired. I'm okay now." Hiccup said in a broken voice. Was he sick? He hadn't really gotten sick before. Yeah he had suffered exaustion and stuff like that, but it had been years since he'd caught a human illness. This was probably do to the many precautions the scientists at The School took.

Agnar smiled warmly down at his boy, though there was worry in his eyes. Hiccup could see it in his eyes easily. The boy lay his ear over his adoptive father's chest once more, listening to Agnar's heartbeat in an attempt to sooth his own worries.

"I think I should stay here Hiccup." Agnar looked outside and saw the hail begin hitting the window harder. Hiccup-with his sensitive ears-flinched at the sudden loud noise and pushed himself further against Agnar's torso. He would usually do this with Toothless. Growing up in an environment where he was constantly on alert loud noises tended to stress him out. Especially anything that sounded like something hitting a cage door.

Hiccup closed his eyes tightly as another memory hit him hard. The last time he'd gotten sick.

* * *

 _Hiccup coughed loudly and wiped his nose with his arm. He was wearing a hospital gown and stuck in a cage that had white fluffy padding on the floor of it. The sides of the cage were heated up to keep the inside warm, and there were glass sheets between each metal bar of the cage to keep the heat in._

 _In all honesty this was the most comfortable cage thirteen year old Hiccup had ever been in. The biggest downside was Toothless wasn't allowed to stay near him. Naturally the Night Fury had become angered because he couldn't protect his Dragon Boy. He'd been kept in a metal seclusion room made specifically for the animals and experiments alike._

 _Hiccup looked up and growled darkly when a man approached his cage. The man was much taller than he was, wore tinted glasses, and was covered by a long white robe. He also wore dark blue latex gloves and a pouch was attached to his side that had medical equipment in it._

 _"Easy ExSA1. They need me to take your temperature." Normally the scientists didn't sound this gentle when they were about to work on Hiccup. Any other day they would just grab him and go. Despite this, they knew how dangerous it could be to stress an experiment out when they were sick. Hiccup could be capable of anything. His body could shut down, his own fire power could destroy him, he could become disoriented and attack, etc. A sick experiment was a dangerous experiment._

 _Hiccup said nothing as he continued growling. He backed up into his cage, not caring when the hot glass touched his wings. His skin was practically fire proof so heat didn't bother him._

 _The scientist reached out one gloved hand to grab Hiccup. The Dragon Boy pulled back and growled as loudly as he could. Tears sprang to his eyes as his body ached terribly. They'd pushed him too hard with their experiments. Putting him in dangerous situations such as intensely cold rooms, pools of water for hours at a time, and mental tests such as watching rapidly moving dots and touching a screen every time they hit circles on the screen. If he could've he would've refused such stupid tests, but he was shocked by a short wave of electricity any time he wasn't fast enough, and tried to catch the dots as fast as he could with tears on his cheeks as he tried not to disappoint._

 _He'd become far too cold and exhausted. He'd developed an awful cough and a high fever. Dragons rarely ran fevers, and with Hiccup's body as unstable as it was at his young age as an experiment, he was at great risks when it came to abnormal body temperatures._

 _Eventually Hiccup became too tired to react. He allowed the patient scientist to take his temperature. Once orally, once in his ear, and once under his arm. The temperature averaged out to 107.3 degrees. This would leave a normal human unconscious. Hiccup on the other hand was mostly fine despite the aches. Despite his fever he was still kept in his hot cage because without it his temperature would drop from 107 to eighty-something in less than five minutes. This had happened only once before and he'd almost died do to the drastic change happening so quickly. Long story short he'd went into shock and was kept in an incubated room with life support for days._

 ** _"I want Toothless."_** _Hiccup growled as the scientist walked away. The older man didn't even take a second to look back at him. Hiccup's head spun and he reached up to grab it. Once he became too dizzy to sit he lay down curled in a ball on the soft mat below him. His cage was warm and he felt very slight comfort for it. With his eyes closed, he could just hardly imagine Toothless next to him when he wrapped his own aching wings around his small form._

* * *

 **"I want Toothless."** Hiccup roared quietly when he came out of the memory. Agnar was still holding him, not speaking as to not scare the seventeen year old boy in his strong arms. Hiccup used his fingers to feel to the leather of Agnar's uniform that the man still hadn't removed. He hummed as the sensation comforted him, though he was still very cold.

"Why am I so cold?" Hiccup asked Agnar once he'd gained a bit of his voice back. Agnar brought one hand up to smooth out his boy's hair, his other hand holding Hiccup's wings and pulling the boy closer to himself in an embrace.

"The power went out two hours ago. Ingrid checked your temperature while you were asleep. It's below 90 and we've become worried about you. I understand your body runs differently, but for any other human that's a dangerous temperature." Agnar explained in a gentle town. Hiccup sighed deeply.

"I can survive with a temperature below 95 degrees when my fire power is working or if I'm in an incubated room. When that's not the case once I drop below 90 it's really hard to bring the temperature back up. I've gotten down to 68 degrees before and went into shock for a few weeks while on life support and being given a few different drugs. That was when I was a toddler though."

Agnar nodded in understanding. He pulled Hiccup closer and gently rubbed the boy's arm in a soothing manner. He also breathed warm air over Hiccup's hair because the boy's head was under his chin. Hiccup could easily sense his adoptive father's worry, and he would never express his own fear out loud.

"What are we going to do...?" Hiccup breathed out, his teeth gritting together afterwards and his eyes fluttering closed. Agnar's heart beat sped up and Hiccup knew that was because he wasn't supposed to fall asleep when he was in the early stages of hypothermia.

"I think it would be best if you stay awake my boy."

Hiccup nodded his head in sign that he could hear Agnar. He tried to stay awake but it was becoming rather difficult. His wings were numbing by the minute and he could feel his head growing heavy as if he couldn't support himself.

Agnar placed both of his arms under Hiccup's and helped the boy to a stand. With much effort Hiccup was able to stumble with his adoptive father into the living room where Ingrid had finally gotten the old, hardly used, dusty fire place to light with a log and old boxes.

Agnar placed Hiccup on the floor near the fire place and used a blanket to wrap around the both of them in hopes of trapping enough of his own body heat to keep Hiccup alive. The Dragon Boy groaned in pain as his body ached and he oh so badly wanted to sleep. With that said, he knew he needed to stay awake to keep his body moving.

"It's going to be alright Hiccup. Do you want something to eat?" Agnar asked Hiccup in a gentle tone. He knew with how many calories the boy burned flying and firing plasma blasts he needed to eat more than the average human, so it was more dangerous for him to go as many days as he had gone with no more than a sandwich and coffee a night from the cafe he'd grown to love. He'd only seen Brenda and Anna again once when he was leaving there the past week.

Hiccup nodded his head softly, his eyes still closed. Agnar smiled at Ingrid who smiled back and headed to the kitchen down the hall. She returned with a bowl of fish soup she'd made for her and her husband's lunch.

Hiccup smelled the soup and felt his stomach growl. With that said, he found himself exhausted and unable to lift his arms for more than a few seconds without hurting himself. Agnar understood and held the bowl near Hiccup's mouth. Hiccup lifted his hands and grabbed onto those of Agnar's. Deep down he knew he was only making it harder for Agnar to hold the bowl to his lips, but the Dragon Boy was too prideful to simply let his adoptive father feed him without at least attempting to help in the process. Agnar only smiled warmly at the gesture. Oh how teenage boys could be.

Thunder sounded outside and Hiccup groaned when the loud noise made his head throb. He dropped his hands from Agnar's and turned his head away in order to let the man and his wife know he was finished eating. Ingrid nodded her head and took the bowl into the kitchen. When she returned she took Hiccup's temperature who tried not to flinch back. At least she wasn't wearing gloves this time.

"His temperature is only 90 degrees Fahrenheit. With that said, it's better than it was before." Ingrid reached forward and placed her hand on Hiccup's cheek who was still curled up under the blanket in Agnar's arms.

"The fire is helping. I hope this can be our solution." Hiccup hummed in agreement and leaned into Ingrid's touch with a hum of satisfaction. He made a Dragon's sound that was something between a purr and a coo. Ingrid smiled warmly at the gesture. Despite her using medical equipment on him he was still allowing himself to accept her kind gestures even if Toothless wasn't around.

"Thanks Ingrid. I do too."

Hiccup couldn't help it, and despite his attempts to keep himself distracted he fell into a deep sleep that sent a chill down his parent's spines. They knew they couldn't keep him awake for very long, but they worried he wouldn't wake up again.

He _had_ to wake up again.


	36. Stressed out

_"H...cup? Hiccup..."_

Hiccup heard a distant voice. His ears were ringing, but he didn't feel nearly as cold as he once had.

Then...then his senses came to him. The first thing he noticed was the smell. The smell of sanitizing spray. The smell of plastic. The smell of latex.

Then came the feelings. The blankets. The chilly rubber. The tubes. The thin mattress. The gown.

What brought it all home were the sounds. Oh how he hated those sounds. Beeping machines, people talking as if he wasn't there, rolling wheels, clicking carts, children crying, and more!

The first thing Hiccup did was screech. He instinctively felt the need to run. To get out of whatever medical facility he was in. He was supposed to be at home. It didn't help that someone had recently kidnapped Toothless. This made him more alert.

So help him if he was in The School again.

Then Hiccup realized who the voice speaking to him belonged to. He felt too familiar rough hands and leather suit. Without hesitation he threw himself into Agnar's arms, hiding his left leg which lacked a prosthetic and his scarred eyes.

"Where are we?" Hiccup asked quickly, a threatening growl in his tone. Agnar could tell by his body language he was only frightened, though Hiccup tried to act stern and angry in an attempt to prevent anyone from seeing a weaker side which could be used against him.

"You wouldn't respond when we tried to wake you up. Ingrid and I tried to let you rest but then..." Agnar paused when someone dropped a medical chart outside the door. Hiccup tensed and pressed himself further against his adoptive father, letting out a tiny dragon-like whine that depicted his fear clearly.

"You stopped breathing Hiccup. This is a very small hospital out of town. Ingrid used to work here and gave them the information they needed to keep you safe. They originally had you in a secluded room with heating pads and heaters in it since their electricity is working. Once you started waking up though and breathing on your own they brought you in here because we weren't allowed to be in the hotter room with you."

Hiccup took everything Agnar was saying in. Did he enjoy being taken to a hospital without an incline of a say? Of course not! But Agnar was his legal parents, and with Toothless gone was the only protection Hiccup said next to himself. He had to trust him.

The door opened and a nurse walked in. She didn't speak before coming closer and this put Hiccup on edge. He was on full alert, listening to her heartbeat, her breathing, watching for any sudden movements that meant she might hurt him.

"My name is Nurse Eve." The nurse only spoke after she saw how tense the boy in Agnar's arms was. Ingrid was unfortunately having to wait at home in case Astrid got off of school early do to the weather.

"Can you tell me your name?" Hiccup knew she just needed him to repeat his name and let her scan his medical bracelet as normal hospital standards, but his mouth felt so dry that he found it hard to speak.

"H-Hiccup. Hiccup Hofferson. Th-that's my name." Hiccup's mouth felt as if it was full of sludge. He found himself flinching at the smallest noises. He might've been a little more relaxed if Toothless wasn't Thor knows where trapped by scientists who used the same medical supplies these hospitals did. He was nervous beyond nervous, but would _never_ say such things in front of Agnar nor the nurses and doctors nearby.

"Alright Hiccup. You're doing very good. All I need you to let me do is take your temperature and Blood Pressure. Is that okay?" Hiccup liked the gentle tone she was using, though she seemed as nervous as he was. Was that because she had hidden intentions? Or was he simply intimidating to a normal human being? He'd have to tread lightly until he knew for sure.

Eventually after a little less than 24 hours Hiccup was allowed to go home. Agnar still continued to guilt him into not searching for Toothless for another couple of days because of the storms. Deep down Hiccup knew the man felt bad for using such methods to keep his boy still, but it was honestly the _only_ method of restraint that would work on Hiccup without hurting the boy further.


	37. Lightning and Death itself

**(A/N) Please don't kill me. That's all I'm gonna say.**

Hiccup was flying through the forest on another search mission for Toothless. Aubrey was flying next to him wearing a white suit he'd made her that mirrored his own black one. Their brother wasn't allowed to come because he couldn't fly well enough to escape if they ran into danger.

It was raining outside but Hiccup and Aubrey were used to rough weather. They continued flying through the forests of Berk under the stars. Hiccup had a bad feeling in his gut. He didn't know what it was...but he didn't like.

Then it happened. The shape of a black Night Fury next to a Deadly Nadder and a Light Fury came into view. They were all laying down as if they were sleeping. Hiccup was the first to land next to Toothless, Aubrey next to who she hoped was Luna.

 **"Luna! Hey girl!"** Aubrey screeched in the happiest roar Hiccup had ever heard her use. He smiled too and threw his arms around Toothless' neck at the same time Aubrey hugged Luna.

Then...everything seemed to slow. Hiccup screeched in confusion at the same time as Aubrey. They both backed away from their dragons, their wings smashing into each other's and causing slight pain. Hiccup and Aubrey spun around, staring into each other's eyes.

Hiccup reached for Toothless again. The rain was picking up so he thought maybe his senses were off because of all the noise. Maybe he was just cold? He didn't know. He would come up with any reason that wasn't the logical one.

 **"Bud?"** Hiccup asked in a cracked roar. He curled up next to his dragon, his wings wrapped around himself and his ear pressed against his dragon's neck. He looked at Aubrey, the stronger of the two. She was crying. How the hell was Aubrey crying? He'd never seen her cry.

Hiccup didn't hear what he was looking for and backed away. He looked at Toothless, his wings fluttering in irritation and frustration. He pushed Toothless a little causing the Night Fury to roll a tad bit. He fell back onto his stomach, not making a sound.

 **"Bud common. You've gotta get up."**

Hiccup roared in a frightened tone. He used his claw and pulled on one of the spines along Toothless' head above his ears. He knew the Night Fury hated the sensation it caused and thought it might do the trick in waking Toothless up.

Toothless didn't roar angrily at him like he normally would.

Aubrey wiped her eyes and moved towards her brother. She lay her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. She knew Hiccup had a much closer bond with Toothless than she would ever have had with Luna.

 **"We've gotta go."** Hiccup roared anxiously to his dragon. He could sense people in the trees. Someone was there. He refused to do anything though. He wasn't going to leave Toothless. No way would he ever leave his best bud again.

"Hiccup." Aubrey whispered in Nordic. She wrapped her wings around her brother who's wings were drooping unintentionally in sadness. He had tears in his eyes but wouldn't let them fall.

He wouldn't accept what had happened.

"Hiccup we need to go." Aubrey whispered. She knew someone was watching them. Hiccup roared at her in an angry tone trying to push her away. Aubrey simply sighed. She could sense his emotions. He wasn't angry. He was confused, sad, and scared.

Suddenly an electrified net came out of the trees. Aubrey and Hiccup had no time to react before they were caught. They struggled, the electrical currents surging through their body.

 **"No!"** Hiccup screeched as loudly as he could. Someone in a white suit approached him, a stoic look on his face.

 **"Let go of us!"** Aubrey roared as well even if she knew the scientists couldn't understand.

Hiccup was beyond angry.

These scientists took Toothless away from him.

They hurt his sister.

They hurt his brother.

They _killed his dragon!_

Hiccup honestly had no idea what came over him. He felt his pupils slit and his wings burned. He felt the electricity in the net but it didn't hurt him. He felt numb, extremely numb, and angry.

The scientists were surprised when Hiccup fought against the electrical currents and stood strait. Aubrey ducked and rolled out of the way. Hiccup's hands glowed but it wasn't the normal purple glow that they usually had when he was about to fire. His wings glowed too, but not the same color.

He was absorbing the electricity.

The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.

The scientists had made an awful mistake.

They damn well knew it.

Hiccup screeched loudly as he let the electricity fire. It shot the trees, destroying the trucks the scientists had used. The blast killed most of them, the other two or three landing unconscious in rain puddles. After Hiccup had let the energy release it all became too much. Everything went black as he fell unconscious.

Aubrey grabbed her brother once she'd recovered from the shock of seeing her brother so... _angry._

She woke up a very weak Stormfly, the only dragon the scientists hadn't killed in their little trap.

Stormfly managed to fly them home. Aubrey carried Hiccup through the window and lay him next to Stormfly who lay by the fire place. She flew to the forest, tears streaming down her face. She honestly didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she had anything to live for without Luna.

Astrid was the first to find Hiccup and her dragon unconscious.


	38. Nurture

It'd been a week since Hiccup had told Astrid about Toothless being killed. When he'd told her his best bud was gone. When he told her he was almost caught by the scientists again.

He told Astrid that he'd killed someone. Both her and Agnar had tried to tell him it was in self defense. Hearing Agnar-a police officer-say this (and the fact that Hiccup couldn't identify the man) put the Dragon Boy at ease a little bit, but he still felt sick to his stomach at the thought.

Hiccup had never felt as out of his own body as he had in that moment. When he was relying on nothing but anger and instinct. Toothless was dead and he was about to go back to the School. He'd become numb in fear, grief, and anger. He'd let his body act for him...and he'd killed someone. The worst part of it all was that Aubrey could've been killed too. He wouldn't have been able to prevent it if he had hurt her.

Despite the attempts Agnar and Ingrid had used trying to get Hiccup to come down to do school work or eat, the boy refused to leave his hiding place. His dark wings hid him well and the only time he'd eat was when Agnar would climb the ladder and bring him something light.

Today Agnar and Ingrid had decided it would be best for Hiccup to have someone like him to socialize with. The problem was the boy wouldn't even interact with Bold, the poor Tripple Strike sleeping in Astrid's room in a nest of her pillows. Astrid didn't mind of course, and Stormfly quite liked Bold's company, but she could tell the baby was sad Hiccup wasn't around.

Ingrid and Agnar knew Aubrey wasn't in any mood to speak with anyone. She didn't have the bond Hiccup had with Toothless, but it was like the one thing she'd been searching for all these years was stolen away from her forever. The Hoffersons felt awful for the poor girl. She had nothing to go after, no meaning.

The best option was Hiccup's other sibling. Agnar and Ingrid had contacted Halden's parents and the other dragon boy was more than eager to help out his triplet brother.

Hiccup could sense Halden nearby by the way the boy roared happily before his brother even entered the front door. When Halden entered the house with his adoptive mother Hiccup felt his wings flutter. He felt awful, sad and honestly depressed. At the same time though, there was never anything better than seeing his brother again.

Halden screeched in greeting downstairs, his black wings opening in welcome. Agnar and Ingrid were standing nearby. Hiccup knew Astrid was taking Bold and Stormfly on a flight so she wasn't home.

Hiccup purred and a grumbling sound escaped his throat. His once numb body began warming. He was weak from the lack of food and therefor found it hard to move around, but his weak, thin wrists were now below him. He was crouching in his hiding space, his wings opening ever so slightly.

 **"Hiccup?! Common bro you're not scared of** ** _me_** **are you?!"** Halden called out tauntingly. He knew Hiccup was up in the roof because of Agnar and Ingrid but pretended like he didn't. Hiccup growled in reply, peaking out from his hiding spot ever so slightly.

Agnar could see Hiccup out of the corner of his eyes but didn't make a move. Instead he smiled slowly, taking his wife's hand in his and gesturing to the roof with his head so she knew what was going on.

 **"Why would I be scared of** ** _you?_** **"** Hiccup growled in the dragon's tongue a tad bit bitterly. Despite the bitterness, there was the tiniest bit of joy, of fun. He was happy to see his brother.

Halden scoffed, his back turned to the hiding place. He knew Hiccup was in the roof, but didn't quite know exactly where his little cubical was. His wings fluttered and he crouched down while looking at the back of the couch. Oh Thor he was challenging Hiccup.

And the Dragon Boy-no matter his sorrow-could not simply ignore a challenge. He _loved_ wrestling with dragons, and his brother was a whole new ball game.

 **"You don't know what you're asking for."** Hiccup growled as he slowly prowled, crawling very slowly out of his hiding place, his wings spread. Halden could sense the boy behind him, but as any good duelist remained in position. He would not suddenly turn do to his anxiety. He would hold his ground.

 **"You don't like me being in your house? Common brother I thought we were friends now!"**

Halden may have sounded a bit concerned, but it was obvious by his body language that he was having the time of his life right now. Hiccup smirked deviously, clinging to the ladder silently. Agnar, Ingrid, and Halden's mom watched with anticipation. Hiccup would jump with inhuman speed any second now.

 **"We are."**

Not a second after Hiccup replied did he pounce. He landed on his target square center, sending both himself and Halden to the ground. The two boys rolled and screeched, Halden kicking at Hiccup with his feet and Hiccup clinging to Halden's wings so the boy couldn't fly away and get the upper hand.

Eventually the tides turned. Halden caught Hiccup off guard and flipped them over. Now they were facing each other, growing and shrieking with laughter, playful glares in their forest green, scarred, fogged eyes. Both of their claws were showing and their sharper teeth, though the adults in the room knew the two were okay because they had tough skin compared to normal people in Berk.

Hiccup bent his left leg, his prosthetic pushing against the center of Halden's torso. His right arm was pinned above his head, his left hand latched onto his brother's shoulder so their would be no mistake. The partial pain distracted Halden as he tried to hit Hiccup in the chest with his free hand, their weak spots being their chests and lower abdomen. Hiccup dodged the attack and they both moved onto their sides, wings fluttering wildly and limbs a tangled mess.

Eventually Hiccup was in a headlock with his legs wrapped painfully behind him around Halden's thighs, his prosthetic leaving a bruise there. Neither gave up, so in a matter of respect they both separated glaring at each other with stern expressions.

 **"So you're fine with me being here?"** Halden bent slightly lower than Hiccup respectfully. They may have been brothers, but this was the Hofferson's territory. It would be the same way if Hiccup was at his house.

Hiccup nodded his head, bending down to Halden's height as if telling him they were equal, no one brother was over the other. Halden smiled at this.

 **"Don't touch Astrid or Bold and we're fine."** Hiccup had become increasingly protective of Astrid and Bold do to instincts over the months. Ingrid was his kin-sure-but he still didn't trust her as much as he trusted her daughter and husband. Agnar was a male, he didn't need protection because he _owned_ the territory. At least that's how it went with the Night Furies.

Halden nodded his head and both boys stood. Despite the serious tensity that was between them only moments prior to the current setting, the two smiled slightly and hugged each other tightly, their wings wrapping around each other.

 **"I heard what happened to Toothless. I'm sorry."**

Hiccup nodded his head, burying his face in his brother's shoulder.

 **"I miss him Halden. I've never been this long without him before."**

Hiccup's roar was cracked and his voice strangled. Halden nodded his head and held his triplet tighter, purring comfortingly. Hiccup hummed contently in the back of his throat, the sound being one dragons tended to make which meant 'acceptance' or 'I'm here for you' depending on the situation and their body language.

Agnar and Ingrid stepped closer to the pair of boys. Ingrid hung back a little bit because she had recently been to work and knew her scent would leave Hiccup on edge.

Hiccup looked up at Agnar over his brother's shoulder, an almost innocent gaze in his eyes. Agnar nodded his head and reached out. Halden let go of Hiccup who practically threw himself into the man's arms.

"I want him back." Hiccup mumbled in a mostly stoic voice. Agnar nodded his head slowly. He looked at Ingrid and gestured to the kitchen with his head. Ingrid nodded and began setting the table. Halden and his mother were going to be eating dinner with the Hoffersons once Astrid got home.

"Would you like to eat dinner with us Hiccup? You haven't been eating nearly enough." It was true. Hiccup burned calories extremely quickly do to some of his dragon abilities. He needed to eat much more than normal humans according to doctors. During weeks where he was flying often or using his Plasma Blasts to save people as 'Fury' he burned so much energy that he tended to be hungry enough for over 7,000 calories a day at least. On days where he wasn't flying as much he could maintain at the average 2,000-3,000 calories a lot of humans ate, though he would not gain any kind of weight at that amount even if he hadn't been firing or outside.

Hiccup nodded his head after a hesitant pause.

"That would be nice."


	39. Getting Somewhere

Hiccup and Halden sat next to each other as they ate dinner. Hiccup wasn't able to eat much do to a twisting feeling in his gut caused by the thoughts of what he'd done to the scientists, but he managed to eat softer foods and the pudding cake Ingrid had made for desert. Astrid was still gone, though Hiccup was left betting she had went flying with her friend Heather who also had a Sharp Class dragon names Windshere.

Once Hiccup was finally done eating and Halden was going home with his parents, the boy decided to go on a much needed flight. His energy was building up and he hadn't fired a blast in a long time. This of course gave him more heat on the inside but he was also much more irritable.

After putting on his black suit and mask Hiccup took off out the back window. His first stop was going to be the coffee shop, then he was going to fly around and see who all needed help from 'Fury'. The public hadn't seen him in out and about now so he was likely to get some decent reactions.

As he was flying through the night Hiccup decided to make a quick stop into the creak. He flew down to the spot Aubrey's scent was most evident. When he arrived the sight almost startled him.

Aubrey had her knees pulled to her chest, tears falling down her face. Her left wing was bleeding, bright red droplets coloring the water below her. The trees kept her hidden and dark shadows cast over her body. Her wings glistened with the moonlight, though this only made his gut twist as he saw the blood shining brightly.

What threw Hiccup off guard even more was who was beside her. There, sitting beside his sister with a thin arm wrapped around her shoulders, was Astrid. Hiccup smiled slightly to himself, glad to see the two getting along for the first time. Then his stomach sank again when he could hear Aubrey's ragged, slow breaths, either caused by pain or her crying.

"May I?" Hiccup asked. He knew Aubrey could likely sense him there, but Astrid was surprised to hear him there. She moved away from Aubrey and allowed her friend to sit next to his sister.

Aubrey turned to look at her brother, eyes glistening with tears. Hiccup was still getting used to her crying in front of him, but said nothing about it. As memories flooded his memory he too felt like crying. It'd only been a little over a week since his dragon-brother had died after all.

"What happened to you?" Hiccup asked. He was tense, his four canine fangs showing but the other replaced by the flatter human ones. This happened when he was stressed combined with the motion of his wings tensing and fluttering when small noises were made. Astrid reached forward and lay a hand on her friend's shoulder comfortingly.

"I was flying. I don't know I was just...angry. I fired at a tree and clumsy me! It kind of fell on me."

Aubrey had an embarrassed expression on her face. She suddenly thrust her left elbow out to the side, hitting Hiccup dead center in the ribs. Her brother yelped in surprise and slight pain, his posture becoming defensive instinctively before he relaxed and sighed with a playful shake of his head.

"What was that for?"

Aubrey smiled-even if it was only half a smile-and shrugged her sore shoulders.

"That's how I show affection."

Astrid watched the interaction between brother and sister before she suddenly got an idea.

"Hey Aubrey? What if you stayed in Hiccup's room tonight? It's cold and you need shelter for your injuries to heal quickly."

On any other occasion Aubrey would have hissed and told Astrid to back off in the dragon's tongue thinking the Hofferson girl was trying to trap her for her own benefit. Through the past hour though Astrid had seemed to have many similarities with herself. The Hofferson girl may have not had wings, but she loved Hiccup, was a protector of those she cared about, and loved sharp class dragons.

All things which Aubrey and Astrid had in common.

With much hesitance in her voice, Aubrey roared in agreement. Though Hiccup was the only one who could understand her exact words, Astrid still smiled knowing from the sound of things Aubrey was finally agreeing to come inside for once.

All it took was giving her a gentle shoulder to cry on.

 **(A/N) For the love of Oden I have a mob on my hands with some people mad about Toothless' death! Love you guys and gals anyways and hope you enjoyed this chapter I managed to squeeze out at two in the morning!**


	40. Girlfriend

Aubrey woke to the sound of hail on the roof. She sat strait up, a sudden flash of Luna laying dead on the ground clouding her vision when lightning suddenly struck. Hiccup panicked slights when he felt her jolt upright to his right, the brother and sister sharing the same bed with different blankets for the night. Winter in Berk was surely a time for storms.

 **"Hey, hey it's okay. You're safe now."** Hiccup roared softly to his sister. The dragon girl tried to calm her breath, her wings jagged and sharper teeth bared for the world to see. After having been convinced to take a shower the night before Astrid had offered Aubrey a blue tank top with holes in the sides for her wings along with a pair of jean shorts. Her hair was also pulled into a red braid over her left shoulder. Her green eyes reflected Hiccup's soothing green-gray ones.

Once Aubrey had come out of her quick panic attack and back to reality, she found herself seeking the warmth her brother was providing. Very, _very_ hesitantly she leaned towards Hiccup, her cheek pressing to his bare shoulder and wings folding inward so he could wrap one arm around her, his free hand coming up to hold tightly to hers.

 **"I know. It's just...a few months out in the open is nothing compared to seventeen years in The School."**

Hiccup sighed and nodded his head. His sister's words hit him harder than he thought they would've. It was true, he loved the Hoffersons and they loved him, but his life-long experience would not leave him no matter how long he was free in the outside world.

Why couldn't freedom from the lab mean freedom from pain?

 **"Are you going to go back to sleep?"** Hiccup asked his sister a little hesitantly. Aubrey sighed and shrugged her shoulders, her wings moving with the sudden motion.

 **"Don't think I can. When I close my eyes I see Luna."**

Aubrey wasn't going to beat around the bush. She said it like it was. Hiccup sighed and nodded his head, fighting with himself to keep from getting emotional. There was no point of course because Aubrey could easily sense his sadness without having to actually see tears, but he still didn't want to cry in front of her.

Aubrey, like I said sensing her brother's sadness, was extremely hesitant as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She'd seen the humans do this, and had seen Agnar hug Hiccup a few times when the boy was very upset. Hiccup was quick to return the embrace, not wanting to make Aubrey feel awkward or like she'd done something weird or wrong

Suddenly a little squawk was heard at the door. Hiccup smiled identifying the voice immediately. Bold was like a toddler in this way, always up around four or five in the morning to pester his 'parents' only to sleep for most of the evening and have to be persuaded to eat at normal meal times.

Aubrey smiled when she saw Bold and Hiccup could sense an emotion he'd only sensed in Astrid before radiating from his sister. Speaking of Astrid-despite it being five in the morning-the Hofferson girl was following Bold just before the baby opened the door-which was cracked slightly-and ran to Hiccup and Aubrey.

"Can I come in?" Astrid asked softly. Hiccup nodded his head, smiling slightly when Aubrey roared very quietly in _agreement._ That was a first.

Astrid sat on Hiccup's right on the bed, Aubrey on her brother's left. Bold sat in Hiccup's lap, purring and making happy sounds. He was whispering in the Dragon's tongue about a dream he'd had where a bunch of Night Fury's and Deadly Nadders lived in one big nest surrounded by roses and rare gems. Bold was apparently the king of it all. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at the little guy and found himself vowing to tell Astrid the dream story sometime. The Hofferson girl was like a mother dragon to bold after all.

Hiccup was like a father figure to Bold in a way.

Huh...

 **"So she's your mate?"**

Hiccup nearly choked on his own saliva when Aubrey asked that question. He knew that he had odd emotions for Astrid, one of which he could only describe as the love Toothless had once told him about. Agnar and Ingrid had spoken with him about...some things that a 17 year old boy was apparently supposed to know, and Hiccup was happy to have that conversation because it helped him identify some feelings he hadn't known he was okay to have, and he found himself drawn to Astrid in that way as well even if he believed he would never act on such instincts because of the things the scientists had once done to him when he began reaching his teenage years. Rather they were only doing what they did for scientific purposes or not, he didn't ever want to act on such wants again because they had been used against him like so many others.

So despite the love he believed he had for Astrid, Hiccup would never want to share a passionate kiss, go on a date, or act on other things which would apparently be very likely if they ever got married. He also knew he could not risk getting her pregnant if they ever did marry because his mother had nearly died carrying triplet dragon humans under The School's care-which may I add was very advanced and much more evolved than regulated medicine hospitals used. Astrid could be injured or even killed if she was to get pregnant and the baby developed wings or absorbed Astrid's body heat like Hiccup needed to absorb heat at The School.

Astrid had once said she wanted a family one day. Another big thing was Hiccup couldn't pull her into the danger he went through all his life. Rather he was safer now or not, one fact remained...Astrid didn't have wings or the thick skin of a dragon. If they were together she could be used against him.

So no...there was no way in Thor Astrid was Hiccup's mate or-as the humans liked to call it-girlfriend. They'd only kissed once and that was just a comfort thing on the cheek... _completely_ one sided.

All doubts aside...

 **"No Aubrey. She's just a friend. We've been hanging out for a while now."**

Aubrey smiled in a way that Hiccup had never seen in his life. He backed up a little uneasily, pressing into Astrid in the process. He'd grown used to her giving him protection against people, though when it came to other dragons, big, strong guys, or The School he would not take a second thought to protect her.

"What you guys talking about?" Astrid asked as she allowed Bold to crawl from Hiccup's lap to hers. The Dragon-Boy let out a Night Fury shriek in surprise when she wrapped her arm around his waist, though he calmed when he could sense she was cool, collected, and in no way feeling anger or greed as if she was about to hurt him.

Aubrey's smile faltered and she looked at her hands. She didn't know why Hiccup was so surprised about her asking if Astrid was his. All male dragons had a mate by adolescents, and Fury's mated for life. If he had had the imprint of Astrid she thought he'd had, the two would be together forever.

"I was asking Hiccup if you two were mates."

Hiccup had no idea why his cheeks heated up and his palms became sweaty the way that they did, but he found himself suddenly very bashful and ducking his head. He could sense Astrid's emotions change too and her body heated up drastically. If he was being honest with himself he found it oddly comforting.

"Aubrey!" Hiccup shrieked. He didn't care that he was being loud, Agnar and Ingrid were at work anyways.

"What? She asked what we were talking about. I thought you said humans liked honesty. You also said they like it when we talk in Nordic, so that's why I didn't tell her in the Dragon's Tongue."

Why as Hiccup was frozen to the spot, Astrid found herself smiling at the current situation. Here was this girl with wings who had no idea how to be a normal human being. She held an innocence that most teenage girls didn't have by this age. She was just going by what Hiccup had told her and was simply attempting to converse with other people in a way that they understood.

"You're right Aubrey. I don't know why Hiccup is being so bashful."

Astrid reached out and scratched that spot in the center of Hiccup's scruff that seemed to send comforting sensations throughout his body. He purred so quietly only Aubrey could hear it, though Astrid could tell by his body language he enjoyed it. Hiccup blushed, not quite liking the idea that she could 'pet' or 'scratch' him like an animal and he would react in such a way. After all, he saw himself as much more human than dragon unlike Aubrey who-before last night-hated her human side. Now she was finally coming around, if a little awkwardly.

"So you are his mate?"

Astrid blushed and shook her head, smiling when she saw Hiccup as red as a tomato.

"Actually Aubrey...we call it 'girlfriend'. I think I'm his girlfriend..." She paused and made Hiccup look at her by placing a finger under his chin. Hiccup cooed to her in a dragon's roar, not quite understanding what she was saying.

"Am I your uh...your _mate_ Hiccup? Of course mom and dad would say you were my boyfriend and not mate...but if that's what you call it?"

Hiccup pulled away from Astrid and looked at his hands.

"We have the same parents?" He tried to protest. Astrid smiled warmly.

"Only have for a few months now. If we did get married they'd be your parents in law so it's not like by being my boyfriend you'd have to give them up, you could still call them mom and dad. Maybe we just wouldn't make it official for now? Well with the drama with The School and all?"

Hiccup nodded his head, looking down and blushing less than before. He shrugged his shoulders, smiling when Bold cooed in his sleep and spoke as if he was in another good dream.

"If you want to be my girlfriend."

Astrid nodded her head and smiled, dropping her hand to lay over his. Hiccup laced his fingers with hers and Aubrey made an interested sound in her throat. Bold looked up at the two teens in love with each other, the sudden jostling in their laps waking him up. He crawled over to the edge of the bed so no one would move him anymore.

It was about seven in the morning before Hiccup, Aubrey, and Astrid went back to sleep. Hiccup slept leaning up against his night stand while sitting up, Bold sleeping in Toothless' old sleeping spot. Astrid and Aubrey had fallen asleep peacefully next to each other on the bed, but now one was laying on top of the other, their hair a mess and both mumbling as if they were dreaming about fighting people.

Hiccup sure did have an...assortment of people in his life.


	41. I love you

Hiccup honestly didn't know what he was supposed to do. He was caught between the sorrow of losing his Dragon-Brother, the giddiness of having his first girlfriend/mate as Aubrey still decided to call it, the confusion that came with having his first girlfriend, and the overall anxiety that seemed to consume his life as a whole.

Then there was the fact that Hiccup was _still_ facing guilt for killing a handful of people. Gods, they'd tortured him and his own triplets for _years,_ and here he was feeling the urge to hide his wings and duck his head in shame simply because he'd defended himself.

Rather it was the scent of burning flesh stuck in his mind, or the image of those he'd grown up around being quite literally electrocuted to death, Hiccup had no idea. He hated the scientists, they were awful to so many, and yet they were the people he'd grown up with. All those with white coats and ID tags that said 'The School' in cursive writing were the only resemblance to a family Hiccup had had in his life prior to Agnar, Ingrid, and Astrid.

Perhaps that's why he felt so desperately confused knowing he'd killed some of them, even if it was self defense.

"You doing okay?"

Astrid suddenly came up behind Hiccup, and despite his heightened senses the dragon-boy didn't sense her presence until she was just behind him, so lost in thought he was sitting on the floor of his room, surrounded by white walls that he'd put many holes in with his claws in a territorial manner that Agnar had simply given up on filling.

"I'm fine." Hiccup mumbled, shivering after having been surprised in a rather negative way. Astrid simply smiled at him and sat down, cupping his cheek with her right palm and blushing when Hiccup leaned into the touch, seeking her warmth.

"No you're not. Talk to me."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow in confusion. Astrid was no experiment with heightened senses and the ability to hear someone's heartbeat or smell their sweat from feet away. How did she know he was upset?

Perhaps, Hiccup thought to himself, that was just how 'couples' worked. She knew him like he knew her. Speaking of couples, he still needed to talk to Agnar about that. Hiccup figured that if anyone would be able to help him with these inner confusions, it would be another human male who already had a wife. He should probably ask Ingrid too because she was Astrid's mother.

"I'm just...thinking about stuff. Toothless, The School..." Hiccup trailed off, bringing his knees to his chest and picking at a scale on his knee with his right hand's claws, his left hand holding his legs close. He'd been developing scales in more places than his back as he was growing near his eighteenth year and it irritated him. Astrid reached out and took his hand, not wanting the boy to hurt himself. They both sat on the blue carpeted floor in his bedroom, Aubrey staying at Halden's house for the night now that she'd seen the Hofferson's true side, and Agnar making dinner for when his wife came home from work.

"What else?"

Hiccup really was beginning to question how Astrid seemed to sense his emotions so well. How did she know there was something else? Was it his tone of voice?

Hiccup growled in frustrated confusion before speaking again, his voice softer than it was before.

"I don't..." He sighed deeply. "I don't know why I feel the way I do I just...I can't get the idea that I killed someone out of my head. I've saved many people as 'Fury', but never in my life have a killed or even injured such a large group of people..."

Astrid frowned and began stroking his wing comfortingly. Hiccup didn't even try to hide the instinctual purr.

"It was self defense Hiccup. They were trying to kidnap you. They hurt you for years. Don't worry, if it's the authorities you're worried about, most of them don't even know your true identity. You were wearing a mask and there were no cameras in the area. As far as they're concerned it was an electrical explosion from one of the cell towers during the storm."

Hiccup shook his head, snorting slightly and purring quieter.

"I hate them Astrid. I really, really hate them. I was raised by them though...they were the only 'parents' I had up until I met you guys. I-I can't help but feel guilty. When I was little...I didn't even know there was a world outside of The School. I thought I was being treated fairly. I had no idea...was so naive...and now I just can't get rid of that thought, that I killed the people who raised me, even if they were monsters."

Astrid nodded her head and embraced Hiccup in a hug. The boy gave that signature Night Fury shriek, obviously surprised, but soon after he returned the hug wrapping his arms around Astrid, folding his wings over her in a protective manner.

"I can't imagine what it must feel like." Astrid whispered in Hiccup's ear. "I can't even begin to. Just know that we're here for you." She pulled away and looked Hiccup in the eyes. She brought one hand up, gently placing her thumb over the scar on Hiccup's right eye, her left arm still around his shoulders. Hiccup tense, bared his four front fangs with his eyes wide. He mumbled something in the Dragon's Tongue that sounded frightful. Instead of pulling away though, he pushed into her touch. It was obvious he was debating rather he wanted to be held or protect himself from his worst fears.

"You know I'd never hurt you." Astrid whispered comfortingly. She was kind of tense too. She wasn't even thinking when she reached up to gently brush her thumb over his eye scar that reached his temple, but once she had something in her wouldn't let her pull away. Would he let her continue? Her curiosity got the best of her. She had to try.

Hiccup groaned something in the Dragon's Tongue, something that sounded like a cross between fear and love. She knew what both sounded like from her previous experiences with him, but she'd never heard them blend together in that odd groaning, hissing sound.

"I'd never do anything to you that they did Hiccup. I would never cut you, prick you, stab or scar you. I know I haven't said it yet, but I love you, and you deserve so much more than what you've been given."

Astrid took a deep breath, smiling slightly when Hiccup relaxed ever so slightly and pressed the side of his face further into her hand as if desperate for her touch.

"I can't give you better if you don't trust me to do so."

Hiccup seemed to freeze as if shocked. He thought he trusted Astrid now. She _had_ saved him from a gunshot wound to the wing after all.

Now though, Hiccup came to realize how much he was holding back. Despite how much he really did want to trust the Hoffersons, to trust _himself,_ he just couldn't go all in. His mind wouldn't let him.

"I'm scared." Hiccup said in a voice Astrid had never heard him use. Her heart squeezed and she saw the glass sheet form over his eyes as if he wanted to cry again. She wouldn't blame him though, he'd just lost someone very important in his life and was trying to battle the confusion of trusting her, and grieving someone else.

"I know."

Astrid gasped in surprise when Hiccup threw himself into her arms, squeezing her tighter than before and gripping her shirt with his claws as if she was his lifeline. It was like he thought he'd die without her.

Come to think of it, without Toothless around he probably _would_ die without the Hoffersons, well with the scientists stalking him and all.

Astrid hugged back once she'd gotten over the initial shock of Hiccup embracing her full force head-on. She brought one hand up to gently run through his hair, and she found herself sitting on her knees, using her free arm to hold him close. It still wasn't close enough. Nothing would ever be. She wanted to protect him with her every being, to take away all those fearful memories that prevented him from trusting her fully.

That's what he was afraid of, Astrid realized. He wanted to trust her. He wanted to _so bad._

Despite this, he was terrified of the idea. The very few times he'd trusted someone before, they'd only hurt him. Hiccup made that clear when he'd told her the scientists were the only family he had growing up.

He'd loved a select few of them, Astrid realized. It was like a child who had an abusive parent but couldn't help but want to make them happy. Hiccup loved those who abused him when he was little because he didn't know that there was something better in the world. Those few times that they would feed him, help him when he was sick, talk to him, give him coloring books or toys, he'd sensed that on very rare occasions they did show some sort of care for him which was only natural considering they took care of him every day of their lives. They'd just hardened their hearts and convinced themselves that the treatment they gave him was okay. That he was simply an artificial being.

Hiccup had never loved someone who really did love him back. Astrid was going to change that. If she ever wanted his trust, she'd have to earn it. She wanted to see Hiccup's true side, not this fake mask that he presented for fear that Hoffersons would abandon or abuse him.

This would be hard, but Astrid never turned down a challenge.

The best part was she knew Hiccup loved her too. She knew he would never hurt her like others had hurt him. He'd proved that he was good deep down despite everything else when he'd taken that bullet for her in the very beginning.


	42. Growth Spurt

Hiccup had been growing even taller in the past few months. He hadn't really come to realize this until Agnar came into the bedroom to find Hiccup and Astrid hugging each other dearly. The man made a comment when Hiccup stood about how the jeans he'd been given were quite tight on his calves. Come to think of it his flight suit had bits of blood and dirt on it that no matter how well it was washed wouldn't come out.

Ingrid-who had just returned home from work to her husband's family dinner of Alfredo pasta and fried Haddock-came up with an idea when the family was eating dinner together. Hiccup and Astrid almost seemed to be sitting even closer than before come to think of it...

"You've complained about your clothing a little bit here recently Hiccup. What if we went shopping for new clothes? You've outgrown Agnar's jeans and we can get some shirts while we're at it-uh, for going out of course." It was true, Hiccup didn't ever wear shirts in doors because there was really no point to hide his wings.

Hiccup was a bit hesitant on the idea. It was true though...he was only a month from turning eighteen and the idea of having some clothes of his own sounded nice. Perhaps he could get more material for the base of a new suit. He'd taught himself to sew during his time at The School because the scientists had allowed him to when he'd asked. In their minds they needed to know _everything_ he could do on his own so they knew what to expect, hence the reason they allowed him to continue teaching himself to read, color, and when he'd lost his leg he was even allowed to draw the rather messy design for his prosthetic. A specialist working with them had made the design just like Hiccup had drawn it to see his reaction, and they were surprised when the rather young boy could actually _point out_ what designs didn't match his drawing.

So Hiccup wasn't _against_ the idea of going shopping. It'd been a while since he'd been able to sew or make any kind of additions to his suit. With how much he was growing he should probably start from scratch. Find a grey long sleeve shirt, some grey tights, and then start applying the Night Fury scales, chest plate, arm guards, gloves...

It suddenly dawned on Hiccup. How was he supposed to get a new suit if he didn't have Toothless? What the scientists were near the store area? They tended to blend into society well when they wanted too...

"I-I don't know if it's such a good idea."

Ingrid and Agnar both raised an eyebrow. Astrid touched Hiccup's right shoulder gently, gesturing with her fork urging him to eat more of the food from his plate. She herself had already cleaned the pasta from her plate and was working on the fish, garlic bread, and the coffee she'd made for herself.

"Don't you want to make a new suit? You're too big for your worn one."

Hiccup shook his head, the hand holding his fork freezing the instant Agnar started talking.

"Where am I supposed to get the scales?" It took them a second to understand what Hiccup had said barely above a whisper, but once it hit them the three Hoffersons sitting at the table frowned with sympathy in their eyes.

"Is there something you can use instead of scales?" Astrid asked in a nonchalant voice. She knew Hiccup didn't like it when people walked on egg shells around him because he could sense their nervousness and it stressed him out.

"Or you could use Stormfly's scales." Ingrid said and tried to prevent her voice from faltering. Though it did Hiccup only tensed a little. He didn't like it when they were so hesitant. He wasn't a little boy anymore.

A confused growl escaped Hiccup's throat and he blew on a forkful of noodles before hesitantly taking a bite. His wings fluttered indicating he really liked the taste and he then went for the fish. Oddly enough fish was one of Hiccup's favorite things to eat, though he absolutely _hated_ eel.

"I don't know." Hiccup said after a long pause. He was glad he ate because it actually settled his stomach a little.

"Why not?"

"People associate Fury with Night Fury scales. Using Deadly Nadder scales would become suspicious. I also wouldn't be able to blend in the way I usually can. I wouldn't feel safe." Hiccup took a sip of coffee to calm himself, the warmth coating his insides pleasantly.

"I can understand that." Agnar replied. Hiccup could sense the bashfulness. The way his cheeks heated up and the way his heart sped. He could also sense the true love in the man's features.

"I don't want to take away from the Dragon side Hiccup..." Ingrid began making Hiccup look at her with an eyebrow raised. The kitchen wasn't very big so his left wing hit a wall when it fluttered in curiosity. Agnar and Ingrid both smiled warmly at their son.

"But...what if you didn't use scales? You could still wear black, and wear the leather chest plate for protection, but instead of using scales you could use the same design as Agnar's police uniform. Without the badge and tags of course. You could even have your own 'Fury design' stitched into it that you wouldn't be able to add with the scales."

Hiccup looked at his hands with his lips pursed and eyebrows scrunched together in deep thought. He couldn't come up with an answer so looked at Astrid who lay a hand on his wrist.

"I can help you design it."

Hiccup smiled warmly at her before Agnar spoke from the other side of the table.

"I can too. You'll have to design the mask of course, but I can help you add extra padding to certain parts of your uniform." Hiccup smiled at the idea. He loved Ingrid dearly, but he was more trusting of Agnar and Astrid simply because Ingrid was a nurse.

"Alright. How about I help you with getting the shower started and then we can go to the shop tomorrow?" Hiccup was capable of taking a shower on his own, but with his wings and the lack of experience he still needed some help getting everything started along with some help cleaning the scales on his wings.

"Come to think of it, maybe we could get Aubrey to come too. She's flying in from Halden's house tomorrow right?"

Hiccup nodded his head and smiled playfully.

"I doubt she'd come but we can try."


	43. Shopping part 1

Surprisingly enough, when Hiccup went to Aubrey in the morning and asked her to come shopping with he and Ingrid, the dragon girl agreed so long as Hiccup had her back as she felt safer with a 'pack'. She was given a white fur Jacket to cover her wings that showed through her tank top with slits in the back. She also wore a pair of Astrid's jean shorts that hugged her thin thighs. Unlike her brother she could wear shorts. Hiccup couldn't though because of the few scales that were just above his left knee. They'd formed over the scarring of his amputation sight.

Hiccup wore Agnar's loose T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. He wanted to wear clothing that would be easy to remove while trying on clothing.

"Alright." Ingrid began once she parked the car in the shopping parking lot. Aubrey and Hiccup were both sitting in the back, watching the people walking and driving out the windows in curiosity. Hiccup wasn't one for traveling far from home. Other than the coffee shop he hadn't really been in a crowded store before either.

"There won't be many people here because this is a smaller thrift store. Cheep prices but cool wear. You guys should get a few outfits for in the public, then a two or three that you can cut holes in. We can also get the material Hiccup needs to make his suit."

Hiccup and Aubrey both listened to Ingrid before getting out of the car and walking across the concrete to the door of the small store. Aubrey grabbed Hiccup's sleeve and pulled enough to jerk him back a bit. His left wing took the pressure the most but he managed not to yelp at the sudden pain.

"What is it?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and took his sister's hand in his. Ingrid was a few feet in front of them.

"How do I know if the clothes will fit me? What's the difference between day and night clothes? Can you make me a suit too?"

Hiccup chuckled as Aubrey whispered her questions, her eyebrows knitted together. He could sense her nervousness. Though she trusted Astrid and himself a little, she was still anxious around the public.

She wasn't the only one.

"Ingrid can answer those questions for you. This is my first time shopping too."

Aubrey glared at the road ahead and pushed herself closer to Hiccup so she was close enough for him to have to lift his arm a little.

"So I'm the human shield now?"

Aubrey hissed in the Dragon's Tongue, telling her brother to back off. "I can take care of myself. You're just stronger."

Hiccup smiled warmly and nodded his head. They caught up with Ingrid, Hiccup not minding at all that Aubrey was quite literally stuck to his side. They both entered the store, the dragon-humans tensing a little when the room became noisy. There was a baby in a cart crying for its mother. Two twin daughters around seven years old were clinging to their father's hands while their mother looked for clothes. A group of men were looking at some of the decorative weapons the store had. An elderly lady was searching through clothes, using a magnifying glass to read the tags. One woman at the cash register was helping a Spanish speaking man check out with his basket of clothes. Another cashier was pushing silverware a young woman in her 20's was buying through the scanner.

Just near the door Hiccup saw a little girl hiding from her mother under a pile of shirts that had fallen off of their hangers. She was wearing a worn brown shirt and giggling while her mother was trying to find the cheapest jacket. Apparently the girl needed a new one.

Hiccup remembered the little girl, a smile appearing on his face despite his nervousness that she would say something in front of everyone about his identity.

The little girl with her auburn hair and bony wrists noticed Hiccup and stood with a bright smile. The sudden motion sent clothes around her and a dryer sheet got caught on her shoulder. One of the cashier's glared at her but her mother smiled warmly. She had noticed Hiccup but didn't say anything of it. Instead she continued looking at clothes and counting the money in her red wallet.

"Hiccup!" None other than Anna shouted as she ran to the boy standing in the doorway. Ingrid and Aubrey were both confused and Aubrey back away from her brother quickly when Anna wrapped her arms around Hiccup's waist in a tight hug.

"H-Hey Anna." Hiccup stuttered out in a quiet voice. His eyes were warm but he instinctively tried to open his wings under the loose T-shirt in case he needed to take off in the event someone tried to hurt him. Ingrid immediately stepped closer to Hiccup and wrapped her arm around his mid-back to keep his wings flat. Hiccup purred and got the message, lowering his wings before anyone could see them.

"Who's that?" Anna asked. She was pointing to Aubrey who had an eerie glare. It was painfully obvious she didn't want _anyone_ charging her brother like Anna had pretty much done. She was glad she had a jacket over her wings because she was able to wrap it tighter around herself to keep her wings flat despite how badly she wanted to ditch this store and go back to the creak.

"That's my sister. This is Ingrid, my mother." Hiccup gestured to Ingrid and Aubrey with a warm smile on his face. Ingrid smiled too and Hiccup could sense that nice emotion he wasn't used too, the warm one that made people's hearts speed up and skin heat a little even if they weren't afraid.

Anna nodded her head and walked up to Aubrey with her hands outstretched. Aubrey backed up into her brother, stuck to his side again. It took many reassuring purrs before she agreed to shake hands with the odd little girl.

"Do they have wings too?" Anna asked a little too loudly for Hiccup's liking. The boy looked to Brenda with a pleading look who immediately approached.

"Sweetheart I need to talk to you about something." Brenda said trying to grab her daughter's hand. Anna pulled away with a huff.

"I want to shop with Hiccup!"

Brenda shook her head with a patient sigh.

"You can if you'll come to the dressing room with me for a second."

Anna smiled brightly, hugged Hiccup around his legs one last time, and ran off to follow her mother's long strides. Hiccup was left with a rather uptight Aubrey to tend to and his first experience shopping in public to endure.


	44. Shopping part 2

**(A/N) So sorry for the update being so many days late! I was training for CNA and the process left me EXHAUSTED. It probably wouldn't have affected me so much if I wasn't sick, but of course the bad weather and ailments around decide to strike at the WORST OF TIMES!**

Ingrid managed to get Hiccup and Aubrey to choose a few day and night outfits. Hiccup went into the changing room and came out wearing a pair of brown jeans and a red tunic. He had another outfit which was a white tank-top and black pants. They got a thin piece of blue material that could be sown onto the back of the tank top in a way that made it look like a cool accessory when in reality it was hiding his wings. He also got a few pairs of jeans to wear at the house and tank tops that he could cut holes in for his wings.

Aubrey got a few pairs of jean shorts and crop-tops that were high enough so her wings could strait freely. She also got two long sleeve grey shirts and black tights for wearing in public. Her brother got materials he could use to make his new suit and her suit, Anna deciding to help with the details including a purple lightning bolt shaped patch and a red butterfly shaped patch about the size of his hand. Hiccup had agreed to sow the two patches onto both of his sides. Most men his age would _refuse_ to wear a butterfly on their suit, but considering the fact that no one even knew who Fury was in his day-to-day life Hiccup didn't care what people thought.

"You have what you need?" Ingrid asked as they neared the cash-register. Hiccup nodded with a nervous smile as the noise in the store grew. Aubrey was still glued to his side and was trying to gently push Anna away with her leg who was constantly trying to cling to her side. Ingrid couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, Brenda as well.

After leaving the store Anna and Brenda separated from the trio that was Ingrid, Hiccup, and Aubrey. They headed to the car and crammed inside, putting their groceries in the trunk. The triplets sat in the back as Ingrid got behind the wheel.

"That wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. Right?"

Hiccup and Aubrey both looked at each other, then back at Ingrid. A confused, agreeing roar escaped the both of their throats, something that sounded like a coo and a purr at the same time. Aubrey leaned into her brother, not bothering to buckle the seat belt. Hiccup placed his arm around her and pulled her closer, breathing warm air into her hair.

Hiccup could sense how stressed his sister was. How she tensed up and sweat at her temples. After all they'd both been through grieving the losses of their dragons, he was surprised she had agreed to come at all. A part of him wondered if she was replacing Luna with himself and Halden, as all dragons needed a pack. They weren't born lone creatures, hence the scientists allowed him to stay beside Toothless in his cages growing up.

 **"Are you doing okay?"** Hiccup roared to his sister in the Dragon's Tongue. Aubrey tucked her head under his chin and nodded. He could tell she was lying. She was as tense as cardboard.

 **"I swear I'm fine."** Aubrey could sense her brother's confused worry. She knew he was worried for her and her well being. They'd bonded a bit closer after loosing their dragons. Aubrey also occasionally helped him gain the confidence to have certain conversations with Astrid, his girlfriend.

Hiccup nodded his head and leaned back. When his sister built a wall, there was no breaking it down. He crooned and smiled as they drove down the busy highway, watching everything go by. He wasn't able to fly about during the day, so the both of them didn't really get to see what went on with everyone around them who drove to and from work.

 **"We should see about you, me, and Halden going out sometime."** Hiccup began in the Dragon's tongue.

 **"No other humans. No parents. Just the three of us."**

Aubrey nodded her head and closed her eyes, relying on her brother to shield her while she dozed.

 **"It's nice being with you two more. With Luna I thought I needed no one. Now that she's gone for good..."** Aubrey cut herself off, a knot forming in her throat though she tried to hide it. Hiccup tensed as well, his own emotions that he'd been hiding for so long attempting to overflow. He kept them down, tucked away.

 **"I like having a family again."** She finished.

Hiccup sighed deeply, his throat feeling even tighter. He wrapped his arms around his sister instinctively, his wings trying to escape from his shirt to shield her but unable to move of their own accord. This caused him slight pain and he bit his lip. Aubrey sensed it.

 **"Let me help you brother."**

Aubrey shifted so she was facing Hiccup. The dragon boy turned so his back was to her, breathing out a sigh when she brought up her hands up to press on his wings, lifting the left one from the right one and pushing down to they folded back rather than hanging limply. Hiccup shifted and hissed, the pain growing, but eventually he felt comfortable again and turned back so he could hold her again.

"Thank you." Hiccup whispered. Aubrey nodded her head and smiled slightly.

"You're welcome."

Ingrid looked in the rear-view mirror at the two dragon humans who sat in the back seats of the car. She could hear the raw emotion in their voices when they began speaking in Nordic again. She had heard them roaring back and fourth though decided not to interrupt them.

The teens had been through far too much in their lives, and her heart broke when she thought about the fact she could only help them so much do to the fact the dragon humans would never trust her fully. It wasn't their fault. They were just in an environment where medical professionals abused them for far too long.

Hopefully this was a step in the right direction.


	45. Night out

Black and white wings pushed against the wind, streaks and shadows moving through the trees, the occasional blast of plasma energy shooting a log or stone.

"It's been a while!" Hiccup shouted in Nordic to his sister.

His suit was all leather, his mask resembling a Night Fury head without the ear flaps. His suit attached to the helmet at the neck by a piece of felt (Astrid's idea), his top a thick black leather with padding over his chest, his bottoms a pair of black jeans with padding around the knees and waist (though the bottom of the left leg was cut short so his prosthetic was visible), a purple lightning bolt across his right shoulder pad (Agnar had the idea for shoulder pads and taught him how to make them), and Anna's little red butterfly sitting at the center of his left side about the size of his hand (Ingrid had taught him how to sow on patches in a decorative way).

He'd promised the Anna he'd let her pick the patches next time he needed to fix up his suit. Her mother-Brenda-had actually decided to keep in contact with Ingrid. The duo were having financial struggles and staying at a homeless shelter.

There were holes in Hiccup's suit cut specifically for his wings, and the only openings in his mask were the holes for his eyes. The mask covered his whole head like a helmet, a metal piece resting in front of his mouth so he could bite down on it if he was to fall and someone tried to take his mask from him.

Yes, he was not just being paranoid, he had experience.

"It sure has." Aubrey replied, a slight Fury shriek backing up her happy voice. Man did her wings need to stretch, but she was so focused on her grief for Luna she hadn't been out flying. Hiccup was in the same boat as her.

Her brother had made her suit. A helmet made out of Stormfly's scales and a shiny white suit made from silk-like material. The inside of the suit brown leather, but the outer appearance was white because of the material Hiccup had sown into it. He'd convinced her to let him sow a purple lightning bolt patch across her right shoulder pad like his. Her chest was protected by grey padding, though unlike Hiccup's suit her pale neck was visible to the public, the front of her shirt only reaching level with her shoulders. Her sides were also protected by thick leather, hugging her figure, her white bottoms covered by bright purple padding at her knees. She wore a white belt to hold her top and bottoms together with a gold belt lock about as wide as her little finger and only as tall as her fingernail resting over her belly button. Her suit matched the colors of her wings and plasma blasts.

Bold sat resting on Hiccup's back, curled up in the loose skin below the dragon boy's scruff between his wings. He wasn't bothered by the sudden motions his transportation made, as baby dragons often times clung to their mother's back and slept while she flew them from place to place. Either that or they were carried by their scruff. In rare cases like with Scauldrons and Shadow Wings they flew under the wings of their mothers from a young age, never being carried.

 **"How long until we get home?"** Bold asked from Hiccup's back, never opening his eyes. The Tripple Stryke was about as long as Hiccup's whole arm now, his head the size of Hiccup's and wings half as wide. He had no tail of course after the accident, and that had caused his lower back to grow in an odd way, extra weight at his back making it next to impossible for the young adolescent to balance while flying. This is why he flew on Hiccup's back even though he was well over 60 pounds by this point, about as tall as a six year old boy.

 **"We just got out here!"** Hiccup roared back in a playful tone. Bold shrugged his shoulders and grumbled annoyed. Just seconds ago he was just fine.

"Teenager." Aubrey mumbled with a small chuckle. Hiccup looked at her and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

" _We're_ teenagers." Hiccup tried to reason. Aubrey only laughed, something that she hadn't been doing until recently. He'd taught her how to let her guard down every now and again. The mask made it easier. No one knew who they were out here.

" _Exactly._ "

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, barely hearing the feint sound of someone yelling "Fury" down below. He looked downwards, seeing two parents trying to keep their kids still who were giddy with excitement. They seemed to think being who he was was _awesome._ If only they knew...

"You know..." Hiccup began as he and Aubrey flew higher towards the clouds so no one would be able to see them. They didn't enjoy being the center of attention.

"What are people going to call you? They practically named me 'Fury'. What do you want to go by? You have to go by something other than Aubrey or you'll have all sorts of people trying to get to you when we're out and about."

Aubrey shivered at the idea and blinked a few times to get an oncoming flashback to stay at bay. She'd known _many_ instances where she received much more attention than she'd bargained for, like when she was being dissected.

"I don't know..." Aubrey began. Then an idea came to mind. She didn't know what she thought about it though and the memories it brought caused her mood to drop quite a bit.

"What is it sis?" Hiccup asked instantly. He could sense the drop in Aubrey's mood almost immediately. The way her muscles tensed, her breathing slowed, and she seemed to be _radiating_ sorrow the more she was allowed time to think.

"What about...Luna? Luna, brother of Fury. We can give Halden a name too."

The two were flying to meet up with their last triplet and give him his suit Astrid and the others had helped Hiccup make for him. A black suit with red shoulder pads, a mask mirroring Hiccup's that attached to his neck by a piece of red cloth, holes for his wings, chest padding, the lightning bolt on his right shoulder pad, and black jeans with knee pads. His was black instead of white because his wings were black. The suit was also lighter weight than Hiccup's was because the young man knew his brother had a harder time flying with his deformed wing. There were emergency leather straps the Halden could use as a 'flight suit' but he could only glide downwards with it like a parachute. If it was ever needed, the boy could wrap his arms around himself, press a button, and the glider would unfold. He would still fall quite fast, but not fast enough to be fatal.

Those details had taken _a lot_ of online research with the help of Agnar.

"Luna? Like your Light Fury?" Aubrey could sense her brother's mood drop in the same way her's had moments ago.

"Well yeah...she's the one who taught me to fly after all. It's understandable why you wouldn't go by 'Toothless', obviously not a good choice, but 'Luna' sounds pretty normal."

Aubrey flew closer to her brother, the tip of her left wing laying over the tip of his right one. She did a barrel role and wound up on his other side, her eyes squinting inside her mask when she smiled.

"Do you like it?"

Hiccup smiled back and nodded his head, flying lower and winding up under her. She glided behind him, keeping watch for anyone around when they went below the clouds. A plane flew nearby and a group of teens sitting near each other looked stunned to say the least, two young women pulling out their phones to take a video.

Not liking the idea of being on social media for too long, Hiccup and Aubrey dove for the trees below where they would be meeting Halden behind the swings of an abandoned park. Few houses were around this area, but there were enough neighbors so The School wouldn't chance trying to kidnap them. It was the perfect meeting place.

Bold growled at the motion when Hiccup dove and nearly threw him off of his back. The Tripple Stryke groaned and closed his eyes again, curling up into a tighter ball and gently kneading at Hiccup's hair with his paws like a cat would. Now something you saw a great Tripple Stryke breed doing everyday.

"I do. Hey, there's Halden." Hiccup pointed to a spot under the slide where Halden was sitting on a tire swing. His Gronkle wasn't around, confusing Hiccup and Aubrey.

"Why isn't your dragon with you?" Hiccup asked while stepping up to his brother. Halden turned around quickly, smiling at his siblings. He'd heard them coming and wasn't surprised when the voice of Hiccup broke the silence around them.

"I wanted to hang out with you two. This place isn't too far from my home, and there's plenty of trees to land on for breaks. I may not be the best at flying, but I've _mastered_ solo gliding. So, you have my flight suit?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and threw the suit at his brother. He stood strait causing Bold to be forced to move from his back. The Tripple Stryke smiled at the knew Dragon-Boy, sniffing him curiously, before going to chase a group of squirrels that were previously burying acorns in the sand under the swings.

Halden hid behind the little wooden box painted to look like a firetruck where kids used to play. He changed quickly into the suit, stuffing his jeans into the chest pocket. The flight suit fit perfectly, and he quickly noticed the emergency flight suit. He smiled when he saw the red padding and purple lightning bolt. It looked really cool in his opinion.

"What do you think?" Hiccup asked when his brother stepped out with his suit and mask on. The other boy gave him a thumbs up, making Aubrey smile who was leaned against the slide with her arms folded.

"Hey bro. From now on when we're flying you can call me Luna. You need a name too. Hiccup here goes by Fury."

Halden raised an eyebrow, Aubrey's words confusing him to no end. Hiccup chuckled and explained what their sister was trying to say, making Halden more comfortable and sensing the way the boy's muscles relaxed.

"Alright...How about Skrillex?"

Hiccup and Aubrey both raised confused eyebrows.

"You know! The Skrill is like the Night Fury. It absorbs lightning and is the only thing that can go head to head with a Fury. The Skrill lives in cold weather, Fury's can't survive in cold weather. The Skrill fires lightning, the Night Fury fires a plasma blast that counters the Skrill's blast."

Halden smiled despite his sibling's deeper confusion.

"The Skrill is very much like the Night Fury, but the Night Fury is like the opposite of a Skrill. The reverse Skrill! A.K.A, _Skrillex_."

Hiccup smiled mischievously and lay a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"You've been thinking about this for a long time haven't you?"

Halden smiled back and shrugged his shoulders.

"I was honestly wondering when you were going to ask us to make code names." He elbowed Hiccup in the ribs who grunted at the impact. " _Fury._ "

"It's not a code name it's a hidden identity." Hiccup pointed out. Halden sighed and shrugged again, obviously not bothered by the correction.

"Can we just go flying now?"

Aubrey and Hiccup both looked at each other, then at their brother. They nodded their heads and tightened their masks. Bold gripped onto Hiccup's back and prepared to take off. Within minutes the three siblings were in the sky.

Spending time with each other seemed to make the triplets feel invincible, letting them forget the pain for a little bit.


	46. Do you know what Snoggletog is?

**(A/N) Sorry for the late update again guys and gals! Been really sick here recently. Do to studying for my CNA testing and church events coming up the updating Schedule is going from at least every 1-3 days to every 5-7 days at least. I'll TRY to update every three days if I can, it's just going to be rather hard and will likely only be one to two times a week. Thanks for reading!**

Hiccup, Halden, and Aubrey had been flying for a little while. They passed over trees and flew into town near the convenient stores. Behind a three story building a man had his hand wrapped around a teenage girl's neck who had raven black hair and green eyes.

"Heather..." Hiccup gasped. His siblings looked at him.

 **"Who's that?"**

Hiccup looked at the two who both looked equally as confused as the other.

 **"She's Astrid's best friend. She doesn't know who I am in real life."**

Aubrey and Halden looked down from their brother and to the girl pressed against the brick building. The man holding her had a black mask and hand gun strapped to his left hip. He had Heather's wrists bound behind her back and was trying to for her to kiss him.

 **"He's gotta be around five years older than her! What does he think he's doing? She's a teenager!"** Halden roared angrily. Hiccup nodded his head though Aubrey didn't seem to understand what the age had to do with anything. She still wasn't used to human law.

 **"Whatever the age he's hurting her and we can't let that happen."**

Hiccup's eyes widened beneath his mask and he looked at his siblings.

 **"I'll help her. This is my job. You two stay on the roof."**

Aubrey and Halden threatened in warning making Hiccup flinch back. Of course they weren't going to listen.

 **"We're helping. I may have an unsuccessful wing, but I can still be stealthy."** Halden began and Aubrey nodded her head in agreement.

 **"'Skrillex' here and myself will sneak up behind him and pin him to the ground. I'll knock him out with a stun blast and that's when you'll untie Heather. She'll trust you more rather she knows you're Fury or not. She will instinctual recognize you. You're kin."**

Hiccup looked at his sister, smiling under his 'Fury' mask. She may not understand the true instinctual differences between them and normal humans, but she still cared deep down for those who were in pain or danger. She was just like he was in the beginning, when he'd decided to save Astrid on that fateful day almost a year ago.

 **"Alright. Just...be careful. 'Luna'."**

Aubrey cooed happily in the dragon's tongue before diving into the creak nearby. Her and Halden hung low to the ground, creeping up on the potential rapist of Hiccup's friend. Aubrey fired a plasma blast and dove through it, her scales and dragon-like skin heating up so much that she was the replica of a mirror. She was like an invisible being. All Halden and Hiccup could see was her chest plate, leggings, and mask. She looked like some eerie demon creature lurking on the ground.

 **"That's cool."** Hiccup mumbled to himself. He hoped Aubrey would keep her word and only stun the felon below him. He couldn't have the first rescue with his siblings turning into a murder case.

The man below had no time to react, only able to gasp in surprise before he was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious, no more damage done to him other than a scraped left elbow. Halden hovered over the man, growling and hissing as if he was afraid he could get back up at any given second now.

While Aubrey was scanning the area as her white-demon-like form for any allies of the enemy Hiccup took the chance to glide down below so he landed right in front of Heather, his wings acting as a parachute.

"Fury?!" Heather whisper shouted in surprise. She looked over Hiccup's shoulder and saw Aubrey changing back to normal now that her skin and scales were cooling down. Halden got off of the man and jumped in surprise when they heard police sirens. Heather looked back at Hiccup with worry in her eyes.

"You need to get out of here. I called the police when I found out I was being followed. They'll want to question you when they get here."

Hiccup nodded his head, his eyes squinting with a smile. It was nice to know the public understood his emotions and cared about him like he cared about them. Heather knew he didn't want to be questioned, the less people knew about him the better things would be.

 **"Aubrey! Halden! We're out of here!"**

Aubrey and Halden nodded their heads, moving with inhuman speed as they took off. Hiccup grabbed Bold from the top of the building along the way, the dragon yelping in surprise and clinging to the young man carrying him tightly.

Hiccup, Halden, and Aubrey landed on top of a water tower to rest, Bold decided to stay in Hiccup's lap as the three dragon-humans lay on their backs to watch the stars.

"Snoggletog is coming soon." Halden began. Aubrey and Hiccup looked at him confused.

"It's a holiday the humans celebrate. My adoptive parents give gifts to each other every year and have a big dinner with the family members like aunts and uncles. I was wondering if you guys would want to come over?"

Hiccup shook his head and looked back up at the stars.

"Can't. Astrid wants me to be home for a Snoggletog with the Hoffersons."

Halden looked at Aubrey next, smiling hopefully with a twinkle in his eyes.

Aubrey sighed in defeat, forcing herself to smile as well.

"Alright brother. Just as long as I don't have to hang out with anyone who _isn't_ your sister and parents. You can have family over, I just don't want anything to do with them."

Halden nodded his head, smiling gratefully.

"It's a deal."

The three dragon-humans and Bold fell asleep until it was about two hours before dawn. The three of them headed to their own homes, Aubrey flying along the creak nearby to remain hidden while flying to her spot near her brother's home. Hiccup-knowing he was well known as Fury and didn't need to hide away until he was close to his home so he wouldn't be followed-flew over rooftops and occasionally landed on small-house roofs where children were shouting for him. He gave a couple of them high fives, the action of being playful with the little guys somehow making him feel really happy inside, before going to the shadows so no one could follow him to his home location.


	47. Snoggletog gifts

**(A/N) Sorry for short chapter, especially since these are spaced out updates. Hope you enjoy anyways and this one's a little sad near the end!**

Snoggletog was nearing along with Hiccup, Halden, and Aubrey's 18th birthdays. Aubrey wasn't really latching onto the concept of family gatherings and gifts and mostly stayed near the creak outside. Halden had spent many Snoggletogs with his family and had already made cards for his parents, and gotten his sister a chain necklace with a pare of diamond angel wing shaped charms hanging off the end over her heart.

Hiccup didn't know what he was supposed to do for gifts. There was no way he was going to go to the store on his own, so he thought he might as well make something from his own two hands. Considering the fact he flew over junk yards, hills of scrap metal outside of workshops, and abandoned car yards and was able to bend any metal or carve wood with his fire and claws the task wouldn't be too difficult.

After getting home from a night flight Hiccup flew into the creak. Aubrey wasn't there because she was staying at her brother's house, but Stormfly decided to come into the creak with him.

 **"What are you doing?"** Stormfly roared to Hiccup, nudging his side affectionately. Hiccup smiled, though he did not laugh like he normally would in these situations. Stormfly could sense the sadness. Hiccup had been distant to not only humans, but other dragons as well after Toothless died. It was as if he was scared to get attached to anymore dragons because he knew The School would be likely to try and use them against him in the future, just like they'd done with his Night Fury...

 **"I'm making Snoggletog gifts. I have ideas for Agnar and Ingrid, but I'm on the fence about what I'm going to make for Astrid."**

Hiccup looked at his small pile of scrap, then at the Deadly Nadder next to him. An idea suddenly hit him, one that he didn't understand why he hadn't thought of it before.

 **"Stormfly...you've already had your shed here recently right? Because of the weather change? I've noticed you've been growing too..."**

Stormfly cocked her head to the side in confusion, but nodded her head honestly none the less.

 **"Yes. I went to the dust pit Agnar has set up just along the edge of the creek. The scales are buried there. Why?"**

Hiccup smiled brightly, changing from the Dragon's Tongue to Nordic.

"Because I might just know what to do for Astrid's gift."

* * *

Hiccup pulled some of the dry, fire proof, dust covered scales from the dust pit before carrying a handful of them to his scrap pile. He tried vines and braided them together into a bracelet, before bending small pieces of metal to create little cup shapes. He used his claws to make holes in the brown and green bracelet, before breaking off pieces of the Nadder scales and burning them into the metal pieces. He did this around the hole thing until the bracelet was the same colors and patterns of Stormfly's wings. He then proceeded to use his claws to carve a miniature Deadly Nadder shape. It wasn't very good, but he supposed to thought counted. He scorched the wood so it had a worn black-brown color.

Hiccup continued to work, making Agnar two wooden swords about as long as his index finger each. He crossed them over each other and wielded them at the center using pieces of hot metal. So long as he kept the wood from catching fire, they were attached to each other as if nailed at the center. He then carved an 'AH' in the center for 'Agnar Hofferson'.

For Ingrid Hiccup made the same bracelet that he made for Astrid, but instead of making a Deadly Nadder figuring as well he made her a metal ring with two thin bands of wire-like-metal.

 **"Those look cool."** Stormfly commented after hours of working. The moon was already setting and dawn was approaching. Hiccup nodded his head, smiling to himself as a bout of relief that he was done, love for the Hoffersons, and confidence in his ideas hit him all at once.

 **"Yeah. Snoggletog isn't for another two weeks, so I'll put these in a wooden box and hide them under the trees."**

Stormfly nodded her head before running off to play in the trees. Hiccup felt warm inside as he saw her find a branch and start throwing it around. It reminded him of her and Toothless playing Tug-Of-War.

 _I wish he was here for my first Snoggletog._ Hiccup found himself thinking despite the happiness he should've been feeling. He still missed Toothless dearly.


	48. Dragon Flower

**(A/N) Oh my Thor it has been way too long since I have updated this story! One thing you guys need to know is not only can Hiccup survive with a lower body temperature for longer than normal humans, but he can also run a fever much higher than normal humans if his plasma energy is a factor, though once he runs out of that the temperature will drop rapidly almost immediately causing death. This is do to his dragon side which can easily take excessive amounts of heat, but his human heart and lungs would have a hard time keeping up. Keep this in mind.**

Snoggletog was just around the corner and Hiccup was exited to share his gifts. Now that he was done finishing off those, he decided to go out flying as Fury.

Deciding not to meet up with Halden and Aubrey this time, Hiccup flew through the night skies in his new flight suit. For a while he was simply soaring through the dark in a peaceful manner, gliding with his wings out to the sides and back turned to the ground as he watched the stars.

Then Hiccup heard the scream of a familiar voice. Scratch that, _two_ voices, both feminine.

"Anna. Brenda." Hiccup gasped in surprise when he looked down to see a man holding Anna in a head lock and pointing his gun at Brenda. Judging by his body language and-upon getting closer-scent, Hiccup could tell he was intoxicated.

Without even thinking Hiccup flew down, screeching in his Fury voice. He knew for a fact that this was dangerous without Aubrey or Toothless, but he had to do this. He had to help them. The man holding Anna looked up in surprise, and Hiccup took the opportunity to shoot the gun out of his hand.

Anna fell to the ground as the man yelled in pain. He fell on his knees, and Hiccup could sense he was dizzy by the way he moved. He'd expected the attacker would be disoriented because he had been drinking too much of some type of alcohol. The smell was practically _radiating_ off of him, indicating he'd been drinking a lot more than Hiccup had smelled on other felons. He himself was a bit sick to his stomach at the strong fumes.

Brenda held her daughter tightly as Hiccup flipped the man over and sat on his knees, legs straddling the attacker's knees and pressing his hands firmly to his chest so he was restrained. The man's left hand was slightly burned but not enough to need medical attention.

Hiccup looked at Brenda who had taken her flip phone from her pocket. She looked back at him, eyes questioning. Hiccup nodded in understanding, knowing she was about to call the police.

The police had already begun coming when they heard the gun shot fire when Hiccup shot the gun out of the man's hand. A police car drove into the ally way, lights shining and siren blaring. They turned off the siren and stepped out of the car. Hiccup yelped in surprise, moved off of the man, and hid in the shadows out of sight. He watched as Brenda explained what had happened, saying that the man was threatening to rape and kill Anna and would have if Fury hadn't come in.

The police took the man away with charges of attempted rape, DUI, and drug position because crystal meth and blue oleander (a type of flower that-though poisons to dragons-could cause a man to hallucinate similar to if they got eel pox but without vomiting and fever. They would be lost from reality for hours at a time if the flower was refined and smoked. The effects differed, and many people died their first times smoking it, but this man was one of the ones who could smoke it and find himself in a rather 'fun' high) were found in his car.

Nothing would be made final until he went before a judge.

The police asked Brenda and Anna if they needed a ride home. Hiccup was saddened but somehow not surprised to hear they were homeless and living in a shelter. He'd guessed this from their conversations, but didn't know for sure.

Once the police had left, Hiccup showed himself again and walked up to Brenda and Anna, mask still on. Anna ran up to him, hugging him around his left leg with tears in her eyes. Hiccup kneeled down and wrapped his wings around her, telling her it would be okay in the Dragon's Tongue though all Anna and Brenda heard were coos and purrs. It still calmed her none the less.

"I'll fly you to the shelter. My wings will keep Anna warm on the way there. It gets far too cold at night in Berk."

Brenda smiled and nodded her head gratefully. Her, her daughter, and Fury had been developing a stronger friendship over the past few months.

Brenda had to bend her arms so her forearms lay on Hiccup's back and use her hands to cling to his shoulders, her legs wrapped around his waist. Reason she had to lay like this was because when Hiccup was flying with someone holding his back they couldn't put pressure on his scruff or the joints that connected the base of his wings to his back else they'd lock up and he'd fall. Anna clung to his chest padding, Hiccup holding her in his arms.

Hiccup landed at the shelter and helped Anna and Brenda keep warm as they went into a spare room. He wished them farewell, finding himself finding slightly dizzy but thinking nothing of it.

"I want Fury to stay." Anna said with a sniffle in her voice. Brenda smiled warmly and hugged her daughter close, trying to get Anna to lay down on the bed so she could lay down next to her.

"I can't Anna. I have my own family to go to." Hiccup didn't know why he did it, but he kissed the little girl on the forehead. He'd seen Agnar do this to Ingrid when she was stressed and it always seemed to calm her if his heightened senses had anything to say about it.

Anna smiled and nodded her head. She stood and began hopping on the bed while giggling, but Brenda had to force her to lay back down. A mother and her son smiled sympathetically at the young mother, though two men sleeping in a bed together in the numerous-bed room glared at the little girl who had interrupted their sleep.

Eventually Anna lay down and Hiccup was able to leave without worrying someone was going to hurt her for being too noisy. He flew back home, though for some reason found himself slightly slopping in his flying. He even stumbled when he landed, though luckily Agnar was outside on the porch and caught him under the arms before he could fall.

"Are you okay Hiccup?" Agnar asked in a worried voice. Hiccup removed his helmet quickly and realized he was sweating a bit too much. Agnar noticed a glazed look in his eyes and felt him. Sure enough the boy was running a fever.

"I don't know Agnar...I-I was flying after stopping a man from hurting Brenda and Anna. The police arrested him...he..." Hiccup found himself spacing out and had to cough before continuing.

Hiccup was about to say another word, then an idea hit him in the head like a brick. He found himself slightly scared and held tighter to Agnar for fear that he would pass out.

"There was blue oleander and other drugs in his car...A-Agnar, if he had the flower, and was able to obtain it, combined with him living around that area..." It had been a few hours flight away, so he didn't know the area well.

Hiccup felt his throat going a little sore before he could continue. He coughed and tried to speak again though Agnar beat him to it.

"You think you were exposed to it. Like dragon root...you are affected in the same way Stormfly would be right?"

Hiccup nodded his head and stumbled again. This was how blue oleander or 'the Dragon Flower' worked. At first the dragon wasn't really affected at all. Then they started getting slightly disoriented because the first affects in their lungs and heart made them begin to lose necessary oxygen in their blood. The disorientation would remain mostly-harmless, then all at once the poison's effects would reach the brain, where it _really_ took a tole, forcing the body into extreme nausea and fever do to the immune system being affected too quickly, and often times a dragon would lose control of when and where they fired, causing danger to themselves and others.

Agnar led Hiccup inside, sat him on the couch, and immediately went to go wake up Ingrid. The man had just gotten home from work as it was seven in the morning and he'd gotten off half an hour early. Astrid had already left for her morning jog she took on Saturday and Sunday mornings just before Sunrise.

Ingrid was surprised to be woken up, but she immediately took control and asked Hiccup if she could call the woman who took care of Stormfly when she'd gotten poisoned by the blue oleander. Hiccup was a bit off at the topic of Ingrid calling a dragon vet, but he supposed it was better than a hospital. Besides, normal doctors weren't prepared to take care of the blue oleander effect.

Ingrid said it would be noon by the time the woman-Eve-would be able to be there because she lived far away. She said that because of Hiccup's smaller size the effects were taking control faster than with larger dragons like the Deadly Nadder, though because of his human side he likely had a better fighting chance.

Hiccup found himself growing tired but Agnar tried to keep him awake. Ingrid checked his temperature and was beyond surprised by what she found, having to retake it twice before finally accepting the facts as they were.

Ingrid pulled Agnar aside and spoke to him, making sure to go into a different room because of Hiccup's intense hearing.

"Agnar...I know that dragons will run higher fevers than humans because of their fire power...but I worry for Hiccup. His brain is battling with him. He's producing that plasma energy of his far too fast. Even though his dragon side and fire proof skin can easily take it, I don't think his human brain, heart, and lung will be able to."

Ingrid showed Agnar the thermometer and he was shocked by what he saw.

Hiccup's oral and axillary temperatures were both 111.3 degrees Fahrenheit.


	49. Dragon Flower part 2

Agnar and Ingrid were trying desperately to keep Hiccup's fever down. His temperature seemed to be rising. He was running a 113 degree fever now and his wings were even hotter. He was shivering with chills and coughing up clumps of dried blood because he'd been coughing so much previously. His body was too hot for his human side and he had thrown up twice, which was why his throat was so irritated causing him to have coughing fits.

Hiccup opened his eyes and looked up at Agnar who was supporting his weak head. Stormfly wasn't allowed inside because she could be affected by any kind of Blue Oleander residue on Hiccup's skin. Aubrey was still at Halden's house until Snoggletog.

Astrid had gotten home a couple of hours ago and was tasked with keeping Stormfly outside who was worried about her friend who was sick on the inside of the house. Ingrid had called Eve again who already had the antidote on her and-do to traffic-would be there by 1 in the afternoon. It was 9:34 now. She advised them not to go to the hospital. Hiccup's immune system was very weak and other than putting him on life support if needed, being at a hospital full of flu-ridden people during the months of devastating winter would do more bad than good.

Ingrid and Agnar needed to stay at home with heaters, the fire place, and electric blankets on the ready in case Hiccup ran out of plasma-energy and his temperature dropped rapidly. His heart wouldn't stop unless it was do to hypothermia or his brain couldn't take the fever and he went into shock. They had time as long as they continued lowering his fever.

Hiccup growled something in the dragon's tongue which Agnar guessed was his name. He pushed Hiccup's sweat-soaked bangs out of his face and whispered soothingly to him. Once Ingrid had gotten off the phone she brought a towel, wash cloth, and bucket of fresh cold water to him.

Hiccup was lay on his back on a once-wet chilled blanket with his wings folded. He couldn't move, but a slight whine of discomfort escaped his throat when the cold towel was lay over his torso and Agnar began cleaning sweat from his forehead with the washcloth. He was given fever-breaking medication and his prosthetic was removed because the Blue-Oleander was making his joints swell as his immune system was attacked.

Hiccup remembered a time Toothless had gotten poisoned by the Blue-Oleander and Hiccup was kept in a small glass cage in case he began showing signs of the illness. A Scauldron that had been captured and brought in for experimentation hadn't been cleaned properly and had the flower on his skin.

* * *

 _Hiccup was seven years old. He sat in a cage with glass walls and no holes. A tube in the top of the cage provided him oxygen, and he could see everything going on around him. He was given a tablet with number games on it which was meant to teach him the math he would need to know in order to be experimented on in the future. It was simple math, just adding and subtracting, and he was given a gold star every time he got a question right. If he got it wrong, a tiny shock that caused slight discomfort was sent to the his left hand, teaching him that if he didn't do well, he would be caused pain in the future._

 _Toothless wasn't doing well. Hiccup could see in the crack left by the door that one of the scientists forgot to close. The Night Fury was running high fevers, throwing up, couldn't control his fire power, was sneezing, disoriented, and his throat burned unbearably. Hiccup knew this by what the panicking dragon was saying as tubes and cloth were put in and on him._

 _Hiccup wanted to help his dragon, but he knew he had to keep answering his questions or he'd be hurt. He did more math, giggling when he'd get digital rewards for his hard work like any seven year old would. He moved onto reading and was getting most of the questions wrong. One of the scientists noticed this and switched from the tablet to a letter chart, some letters smaller than others. Hiccup was supposed to say what the letter were without moving the baby into a recording device. If he got one wrong, he'd be shocked._

 _Hiccup got most of the smaller letters wrong despite supposed to be having the sight of a baby dragon. By the end of it tears of frustration were running down his flushed cheeks because his left arm was so sore._

 _Two weeks later The School would be doing their first experiments on his eyes in an attempt to improve his eyesight._

* * *

Hiccup came back to his senses as he recovered from falling unconscious again. Ingrid was taking his temperature again and sighed in relief when she realized he was managing and not getting warmer.

Hiccup threw a hand over his mouth and Agnar brought over a miniature trash can so he could throw up what little he still had in his stomach. He coughed afterwards and dried bits of blood came out. Ingrid threw away the trash bag and brought a clean bin over while Agnar helped Hiccup lay down on his back again.


	50. A comfortable kiss

It'd been five days since Hiccup had been given the antidote to relieve him of the poisonous Blue Oleander in his body. He was still resting, his fever broken but his body weak. Bold slept next to his bed, purring in his sleep in a comfortable manner.

Astrid spent most of her time helping Hiccup since they were on Snoggletog break, meaning she didn't have school. The break had started just a few days ago. It would be two months before Hiccup would be turning eighteen years old.

With her hand a gentle touch, Astrid rubbed small, comforting circles in Hiccup's back, just between his wings. The boy groaned in slight pain as she messaged very sore muscles, but he quickly relaxed, letting out a deep part-sigh part-coo in thanks for her help.

"You don't have to spend all of your time on me." Hiccup mumbled, fangs bared after switching with his normal canines, though the rest of his teeth were the flat normal ones. He tended to do this when he was nervous or scared. If he was angry or threatened, all of his teeth were switched out for sharp, dragon-like canines, none flat. Those teeth could easily cut your finger deeply if you dragged a finger over them.

Astrid was never scared of those teeth.

"You're still recovering. I feel more comfortable having someone looking after you." Astrid reached over and grabbed one of the four stuffed dragons on the nightstand. When he'd been put on bed rest, Hiccup brought the 'hatchlings' to his bedroom where he'd made a nest out of an old rugged shirt and bits of the crust he'd had on his garlic bread a couple of days ago for dinner. The food part was just an add on, using his environment to build on the mostly-natural nest.

Astrid was the only one allowed to touch said nest.

Next to the stuffed, Bold was the most important hatchling to Hiccup, having grown very close to the dragon boy. Astrid was like a mother figure to the dragon, feeding him since he'd never learned to hunt for himself. Hiccup would catch the food, sometimes hunting with Aubrey or Halden, and bring home things like fresh fruits from far away (since he could travel full states in one night) or squirrel and fish meat. On rainy days he'd just get crawl fish and herbs that crew in and near the creak. They didn't taste good, but they were filling.

Bold didn't acknowledge the two as often, mostly sleeping because he was growing so fast. At times he'd become snarky like a teenager, or play fight with Hiccup despite the many times the older 'dragon' would win.

"I don't need a babysitter." Hiccup said. He didn't mind Astrid being there. Her hands on his tense muscles felt nice. He just didn't want to burden her, and having someone watch him while he was vulnerable gave him a few minor bad memories.

"I'm not a babysitter Hiccup." Astrid whispered before she leaned down to kiss him behind the ear. Hiccup let out a dragon-like coo and purr in response, sighing deeply and letting his wings flutter under her delicate fingers.

"I'm your girlfriend." That word was still new to him. They were technically together, though they rarely acted like it because Hiccup was so scared of letting people too close to him. Agnar and Ingrid still had no idea, though Astrid suspected her mother was slightly suspicious.

"I know." Hiccup said in a low voice, closing his eyes and moving his head to the other side in an attempt to get more comfortable. The walls had minor burn marks on them because he'd accidentally released his fire power when it would build up too quickly as a result of his illness and inability to go out. Agnar still had to paint over those. His legs had three different blankets on them, and his pillow had a heating pad on the inside to keep his arms, head, and torso warm. He still had his now-cold sausage from breakfast on his dresser which was at the foot of the bed, his nightstand being right next to the head of his bed on the right near the door. The beanbag and carpet Toothless used to sleep on was now occupied by Bold.

Despite the rather homey, cozy environment, Hiccup just couldn't get comfortable. His muscles were tense, his eyes droopy, and his brain fuzzy. He still refused to remove his prosthetic for fear of needing to up and run, but it was getting and harder not to cry at the pain.

If Hiccup wanted to cry in pain-despite how pain tolerant he was because he'd been scarred so much in his life by much worse-that meant that he was hurting _badly._

Astrid knew about Hiccup's pain in his leg, and she lifted her hands to adjust the blankets on his legs which were beginning to fall off of the bed, but his wings stretched outwards so she was still touching him when she began pulling away, telling her he wanted her up here with him.

He _needed_ her right now.

Astrid obeyed the silent request and continued rubbing between Hiccup's wings. It was around 6 in the evening so their parents were at work, Agnar working early on his night shift and Ingrid at the hospital, her shift ending in two hours from now. She'd been called in to work at the trauma section of the hospital for a while.

They were both kind of hungry do to not having dinner yet, but Hiccup couldn't stomach anything right now with the minor headache he was currently suffering from. Astrid didn't want to eat until he did, not wanting the smell to affect him at all.

Deciding to put her own desires behind her, Astrid looked at Hiccup's face, his eyes closed in a peaceful way despite the sweat covering his face.

"Are you going to go to sleep soon?" Astrid asked gently. He'd been sleeping more recently do to his lack of energy. He hadn't even been able to go flying, hence the burns on the walls.

Hiccup shook his head, the motion making him groan in pain. "No...cold." Astrid wasn't as surprised as she should've been. Despite the many blankets on his legs, and the heating pad, Hiccup was still feeling cold. When he was lacking energy, he tended to be unable to create his own body heat. This meant that blankets did nothing for him, and the heating pad did little.

"Can I check your temperature?" There was already a thermometer in the top drawer of the nightstand, Hiccup's suit and pajama pants in the middle, and journals in the bottom. His clothes and materials he'd gotten from the store were in his small two-drawer dresser at the foot of the bed.

Normally Hiccup didn't like people using medical equipment on him, but this was Astrid he was talking about. He made a sound of agreement in his throat, eyes still closed. He groaned in annoyance at the loss of contact when she removed her hands from his back, but opened his mouth obligingly when she pressed the oral thermometer their mother had to his lips.

It only took a moment for the thermometer to give a temperature so Astrid could pull it out and throw away the cap in the trashcan (which had a tad bit of vomit in it). She sighed deeply when she saw the number. The screen read 89 degrees. He was dropping.

Astrid knew she could've gone and grabbed the heated blanket they kept just for situations like this, able to afford such things because of their parent's combined jobs, but Astrid ha another idea. With hesitant movements, she moved into the bed beside Hiccup, nudging him over with her thighs.

Confused, Hiccup scooted closer to the wall with the small window on it. He was surprised when he felt Astrid lay next to him, both of her rough textured but gentle hands gripping his shoulders in a comforting manner. Her legs wrapped around his thighs, and he revealed in the body heat she gave him.

Muscles tense for new reasons, Hiccup was slightly hesitant when he wrapped one around her, the other beside his head to act as an extra pillow. He relaxed as his wings wrapped around her while he lay on his left side with his back to the wall. He leaned his head forward, blowing warm air in her hair and purring almost silently. Astrid sighed pleasantly and moved one leg out from under him so she didn't lose circulation, but her left leg was still hooked around his waist. She only wore her blue night tank top after taking a shower and a leather skin-fitting shirt, but thanks to Hiccup's wings she wasn't cold even though his skin was as chilly as it was.

Warm air in her hair, Astrid found it easy to relax. With someone else next to him, Hiccup's features relaxed as he held her close. Memories of his own dragon who used to wrap his wings around _him_ flooded his mind and he felt a twinge of sadness. Said sadness quickly turned into protection of Astrid.

He would always protect her like Toothless protected him.

Not even thinking, Hiccup leaned down and kissed Astrid's forehead. He could feel her heartbeat speed up with his increased senses. He purred louder, and suddenly took on a smell he couldn't quite understand, and odd kind of emotion that didn't even seem to be one emotion at a time. Her body heat warmed and her heart sped up even more. Her features relaxed, but the leg hooked around his waist tightened, the muscles in her thigh becoming more stiff.

Damn were female non-dragon humans complicated. Much more so than his sister Aubrey.

Astrid quickly leaned up when he kissed her forehead. One minute Hiccup's lips were on warm skin, the next they were on Astrid's _own_ lips.

Something within him fluttered, his wings warming with Plasma energy (as he'd learned to call the energy build he got when he was charging a Plasma Blast) and stomach flipping over itself. He kissed back, wings tightening around her so he could shield her from any harm. His wings also came up to hide their heads.

They were kissing in warm, pitch black darkness.

Eventually the two of them had to pull apart for air. Astrid was blushing deeply and refusing to make eye contact. Hiccup was simply gazing at her with wide, confused forest greens, his head cocked to the side in curiosity.

"Is this going to be a regular thing because you're my girlfriend?" The question was genuine and Astrid smiled warmly. She nodded her head slowly.

"I think so."

They both fell asleep for an hour together, Astrid setting an alarm to get up in an hour so she could make them both a small late dinner and do the dishes before her mom got home.

Astrid and Hiccup still didn't tell their parents, though they didn't hide the obvious affection for each other. There was no more kissing unless they were alone, but when they were sitting close to each other, Hiccup almost _always_ had a wing wrapped protectively around her.


	51. In love?

Hiccup woke up without a warm body next to him. A part of him had expected Astrid to still be there, but then he remembered she had to get up and make dinner before her mom got home. Shivering as he realized just how cold he was, Hiccup let a cough escape his sore throat. He was feeling much better after receiving the dragon root antidote, but he was still suffering side affects like fever and this terrible aching in his limbs, especially his left leg.

Letting a deep sigh out, Hiccup grabbed onto his night stand so he could bring himself to a stand. Bold glared up at the boy for making so much noise, and partially because he really did worry for Hiccup, but the dragon boy himself only glared at the smaller dragon with a Night Fury-growl and a snort.

Hiccup had walked on his thin limbs after going through a conscious surgery without the use of anesthetic or pain relievers. His own _leg_ had been amputated without him being knocked out first because the scientists had believed the use of drugs could stunt his growth as a dragon human and their research.

 _This,_ walking on his shaky legs with achy muscles after being given the antidote to a deadly flower he'd been poisoned by, this was nothing.

As Hiccup stepped into the living room, wings folded to his back, he spotted Astrid washing dishes after making a dinner for their family. She turned around when he bumped into a coffee table and sat on a wooden chair near the dining table.

The Hofferson girl _glared_ at him, and Hiccup felt his skin crawl in slight fear.

"What are you doing up Hiccup? You didn't even eat breakfast or lunch and now you're suddenly walking around the house?!" Astrid set a plate down, dried her hands on her shirt, and approached Hiccup so she could sit in the counter slightly above him. Her mother had stopped telling her not to sit on things that weren't chairs when she was thirteen, knowing it was hopeless.

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, ducking his head and placing his palms up in his lap as if to open himself up to her.

"You know...I've been through so many illnesses and procedures before...this doesn't really affect me as much I guess. I'm pretty sure I managed to get my body heat up without running another fever. I'm starting to get my energy back actually, and I think I might be able to eat dinner too."

Astrid smiled warmly as Hiccup looked up at her, forest green-gray eyes wide and a crooked half-smile on his lips. His wings spread a little bit behind him, fluttering when she reached down to place a comforting feather-light touch on his bare shoulder.

"Okay. I guess it's better you eat in here where you can't fall _asleep_ dragon boy." Astrid partially teased. She jumped down from the counter in one swift movement, doing a hand stand and falling forward so she landed right in front of the sink, throwing a plate slightly before catching it in the other hand, wiping a spot off of it, and sliding it into the drying rack before going for a knife to clean.

Hiccup watched this in aw. He hadn't really met any normal humans _without_ the strength and agility of a dragon who could move the way Astrid could. The 17 almost 18 year old girl could swing from trees, jump off of swings and land on her perfectly designated spot, jump over high objects without the use of her hands, scale the sides most small buildings, and even leap from the house's roof to other high objects without fear or worry of falling.

She reminded him of her Deadly Nadder honestly.

After recovering from his slight daze, Hiccup stood and walked to the sink. His hand hovered over the dishes in the drying rack, and he let out a small flame from his hand, drying them almost instantly. He then proceeded to set them in the counter above him.

Astrid chuckled lightly as she saw Hiccup work. It was becoming normal to have a dragon boy helping them out in his own way around the house. The wings and roars had stopped being weird months ago. The fire power was sometimes surprising, along with the purring, but other than that Hiccup was just... _Hiccup._

"That comes in handy. Sure you want be using your 'plasma energy' after you just got your body heat back up?" Astrid felt his cheek, noticing it was still kind of cold.

"Actually using said energy makes my body grow warmer, so as long as I'm not so cold I go into shock, or running a fever, I'm good." Hiccup leaned into her touch slightly before letting out a low dragon-like sound of thanks and moving away to continue putting dishes away.

Astrid smiled once more and nodded her head in understanding. She handed Hiccup a hot tray from the counter while wearing mits, but Hiccup-with his heat resistant skin-didn't even feel the difference. He took the metal tray to the table and began separating the squares of pasta on the inside onto four different plates for all of them, even though Agnar's would be put in the freezer for him to eat the following day. Astrid followed his motions, setting a spoon full of cheesy mashed potatoes on each plate. The tray was empty so Hiccup put it in the sink, though Astrid set the left over potatoes in the center of the table.

About ten minutes after they'd finished setting the table, Ingrid entered the house with a smile at seeing the two working so well together. She hung her coat up and approached Hiccup from behind who screeched when she accidentally spooked him with her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry! I suppose your hearing isn't working the way it usually does because of the fever?"

Hiccup frowned, showing his claw to scratch behind his ear, his normal fingernails unable to do anything for him because of how thick his skin was.

"Actually I think it's the fever _breaking_ that's causing my brain to be so foggy. Something about this ringing in my ears."

Ingrid smiled and nodded understandingly. She sat down at the table, thanking Astrid for making the food so she could eat when she got home. Astrid was already digging into her pasta, though Hiccup was more or less picking at his potatoes.

Ingrid watched as the two teens subconsciously picked the seats closest to each other. Astrid nudged her friend's left hand in an attempt to bring him out of a daze he was in, and Hiccup smiled at her before nodding his head and taking a bite of his food. They maintained eye contact for a second as if in silent conversation, Hiccup's hand freezing and mouth open with the fork almost in his mouth, before looking down shyly, Astrid blushing and Hiccup cooing something in the dragon's tongue before eating his food.

It didn't matter how much they tried to hide it. Ingrid knew her daughter was in love, and she was okay with that. Hiccup was practically her son as it was, which would make sense if they were to get married one day and he would become her son in law.

She'd known from the beginning Hiccup and Astrid would never be developing a sibling like relationship. Call it a mother's instinct.

They were practically made for each other.


	52. Night together

After dinner was eaten and now dirty dishes were put away, Hiccup decided to lay down near the fire place while curled in Stormfly's embrace. Aubrey and Halden were still staying with each other for Snoggletog break, so it was just Hiccup, Astrid, and Ingrid at the Hofferson house for the time being.

One of Hiccup's stuffed dragons, a blue-ish green one which resembled a Deadly Nadder, lay curled in his rough hands while Hiccup himself was being protect by Stormfly. Astrid sat next to him, absentmindedly scratching her Deadly Nadder behind the ears who's head was in her lap.

"It's odd how attached you are to those stuffed animals, but kind of cute in it's own way." Astrid said as she leaned her head on Hiccup's shoulder. Ingrid was already in her room reading a book before going to bed. She was going to check on Hiccup's temperature before actually falling asleep though.

"I don't know why I am. I think it's a part of the dragon side." Hiccup mumbled, gripping the stuffed dragon tighter but not enough to damage it. He purred when Astrid reached up to scratch the spot just below his dragon-scruff, a part of skin that could either cause extreme pain, paralysis for a short period of time do to instinct, or when scratched the right way, comfort.

Astrid nodded her head in understanding, leaning further into him so he'd lay down with his head propped up by Stormfly's front foot. The Deadly Nadder nudged Hiccup curiously, sniffing him to make sure he was okay as if he was her own hatchling like Toothless used to, then she lay down her head with her wing covering his and Astrid's legs, her nose pointed towards the fire so she could watch the sparks from the fireplace.

Hiccup let one wing drape over Astrid's body, only leaving her shoulder and head free. He held her close with said wing, allowing her to tuck her head under his chin.

"Thanks for helping me with all of this Astrid. It means a lot to have a family like you guys." Hiccup said sincerely, humming a dragon's-coo in the back of his throat with his dragon-side's vocals.

Astrid smiled warmly and leaned closer to Hiccup. They were both leaning against Stormfly's front foot, so she was mostly laying down, but she was still able to lean upward enough to gently kiss his nose. Then she brought her right hand up, her thumb brushing over the scar crossing his right eye.

Hiccup's breath hitched and his eyes went wide in reflex for a moment, muscles tense and heart racing. Then he began to relax a little, leaning into her hold while shivering in his skin do to the memories that plagued his mind.

If there were two scars he hated people touching or getting close to, they would be his amputation sight and his eye-scars.

"You're doing better with this. Trusting me to touch you." Astrid said in a quiet voice. Her thumb brushed up towards his eyebrow, then came back down to very tenderly touch his scar again which traveled in a thin line across his temple. Her hand remained on his cheek where she felt his rough, now warm skin. He was letting his plasma energy out little by little as fear overcame him.

There was something else though. Another emotion in his eyes that wasn't fear or hesitance. She couldn't quite pin-point it, but it kind of resembled love combined with something else.

Hiccup held her tighter with his wings when she said these things to him. He cooed and purred, shivered more fiercely do to her thumb constantly touching his eye scar. His leg was also hurting again because he really did need to remove his prosthetic to relieve his tense muscles, but he still refused to even after so many days for fear of needing to get away quickly.

"Thanks...I think."

Astrid smiled at the slight sass in his voice, kissing his nose again before pulling her hand away so he could rest easy. She lay so her head was on his chest, reveling in the warmth his wings produced. He wasn't growing cold, which meant he was gaining his strength back and able to manage his own body heat more often.

The young couple lay like that for a while. Astrid didn't mean to when she fell asleep in Hiccup's arms. The Dragon Boy was still awake, but he didn't try to move away from the lightly-snoring Hofferson in her arms.

After about half an hour, Ingrid walked into the living room to take Hiccup's temperature. She froze in her tracks and was taken back when she saw her own daughter sleeping in Hiccup's wings while he purred soothingly to her, Stormfly's left wing still covering him.

The Deadly Nadder sensed one of her three riders in the room and looked up with a chirp to acknowledge Ingrid. Hiccup looked up when he felt her moving, and smiled warmly when he saw Ingrid coming over. Of course he was tense at the idea of her using medical equipment on him, but that was mostly pure instinct after so many years of being tormented and hurt by said equipment.

Once Stormfly knew the two teens in her wings were in no danger she lay her head back down and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Ingrid walked closer once the Deadly Nadder was content with having her there, knowing that having a pet Nadder meant you had to obey certain rules among them, including their protective instincts over young ones.

Hiccup was slightly hesitant as usual when the electronic thermometer hit his skin, but when Ingrid pulled away to check the numbers he relaxed.

"You're still at the normal temperature for a regular human so that's good. You're maintaining your own body heat well." Ingrid kneeled down so she could brush a hand through Hiccup's hair playfully who chuckled and let out a squeak which one couldn't tell was from his dragon or human vocals.

Once Ingrid pulled away she looked at Astrid who was still sound asleep. She then looked at Hiccup, catching his gaze. He was smiling almost proudly, obviously happy with himself for protecting her like he was.

"Did she fall asleep like this?" Ingrid was mentioning the wings wrapped around her while she was laying her head on Hiccup's chest.

"Yeah. We were talking about my stuffed dragons with Stormfly. I guess she got tired after helping with dinner." In response all of the noise that was going on Astrid shifted in her sleep. She moved up Hiccup's body a little and tucked her head under his chin, clinging to to the loose skin at the base of his wings where scales met his spine.

"Okay. Well if you don't mind I'm going to walk her to her room so she can sleep in her own bed. Do you want to stay in here so you're near the fire place?"

Hiccup nodded his head in agreement. He preferred sleeping in Stormfly's arms over sleeping in his bed. Bold was a heavy sleeper so he wouldn't be wondering where he was.

As expected, Astrid fought slightly when she was first woken up out of fear because she was in an unfamiliar environment, but once she saw her mother she allowed Ingrid to lead her to her bedroom.

Hiccup would be lying if he said he didn't miss the comfort of Astrid next to him, but he knew it was a human thing for there to be a natural rule against males being able to sleep next to a female who wasn't a sister. Males were allowed to sleep with males, but not females with males it seemed.

It didn't take long for Hiccup to fall asleep wrapped in Stormfly's wings. The Deadly Nadder would occasionally nudge and hum to him in an attempt to sooth the sleeping ill boy.

She'd seen how Toothless was with him, and now that the Night Fury was gone Stormfly knew she could get closer to Hiccup because it was very unlikely he would ever be leaving like he was once planning to. This little dragon-if a bit different than normal dragons-needed another adult figure now that his Night Fury brother/father figure was gone.

Of course the humans would be able to take care of him like they did their daughter, but they just didn't know exactly how to take care of an adolescent dragon who had been through as much as he had been through.


End file.
